New outright premiership leader Tony Cruz stamped his authority on the race to become top trainer with a double yesterday. Cruz - who has now trained 23 winners - also racked up a double at Happy Valley last Wednesday and has shot clear of Casper Fownes, who sits on 21 winners. Cruz first landed his first trainer's title in the 1999-2000 season and regained it in 2005, when he set a new record for season winners (91) and earnings (HK$113 million) in the process. Though he has his work cut out to better that record this year, he is still revelling in the chance to claim the title for a third time and is looking to some of his young horses to keep him at the top. 'I am very happy that of the three subscription griffins that I have in my stable, two have now won,' Cruz said following the win of Perfect Fit in the Pak Tam Au Handicap (1,200m). 'Perfect Fit is only three years old, and he just needs to be given some room. According to the records, the Danzero horses don't do well on the dirt, but to me he just felt like a dirt horse in his trackwork. 'He has run good time and I will keep him on the all-weather surface over the same distance for now.' Cruz's second winner Gallant Champion toppled some aspiring Derby contenders to claim the Chek Keng Handicap (2,000m). He finished fourth in the 2007 New Zealand Derby when named Keepem, and threw a spanner in the works for the Sean Woods-trained favourite King Dancer, who will now have to make other plans in order to get to the Hong Kong Derby in March. 'There is a 75 to 95 rated race on January 16 which I hadn't intended to run him in, but now I will probably have to,' Woods said. King Dancer was luckless, with jockey Johan Victoire unable to obtain clear running for much of the straight. However, Cruz placed Gallant Champion to perfection and, with his low handicap weight, the six-year-old was able to deliver the goods care of a strong ride from Marco Chui Kwan-lai.
