Flamboyant Doleuze thanks his best mates for a helping hand on winners
Olivier Doleuze had two departed compatriots to thank for the lion's share of his Sha Tin treble that set the flamboyant Frenchman up for a comfortable Jockey Challenge victory.
Christophe Soumillon recommended Doleuze take over on Stilton after the Belgian riding ace returned to his main job in France as retained jockey to the Aga Khan.
Similarly, Gerald Mosse tipped the progressive Australian-bred sprinter Top News as 'ready to win' after his last-start placing down the straight 1,000m course on March 15. Mosse has returned to his native France to ride for the majority of the European flat season.
'I am very happy with the way today has gone - three winners and the Jockey Challenge as well - but I must thank my friends for helping me to get on two of these winners,' Doleuze said.
'Christophe rode Stilton for Alex [trainer Wong Yu-on] last start and he said that if the horse went back to the dirt over 1,650 metres, he could win. I was lucky that he recommended me as to take over as the jockey.
'It was similar with Top News. Gerald said this is a nice horse and still improving - he told me 'you should get on him because he's ready to win'. So I called [trainer] Me Tsui, who put it to the owners and ultimately rang me back to confirm that I had the ride.'
Doleuze already had a winner in waiting, with the emerging dirt specialist Dynamic Blitz being a dominant odds-on favourite for the Barker Handicap (1,200m). Doleuze is developing something of a knack with these all-weather sprinters, as he is also the regular rider of Lucky Quality, winner of four on the surface this season and now entrenched in Class One. Dynamic Blitz - by the same sire as Lucky Quality, the American-bred Exclusive Quality - went into yesterday's race on a 92 rating, so, after landing a comprehensive 13/4 length victory, he won't be too far off the top grade himself.