Seven days after last rites were called on Douglas Whyte's 10th straight jockeys' championship, the casket lid was tossed aside by the Durban Demon and he emerged from gloomy Sha Tin with a five-timer that brought the title race back to life.
Brett Prebble had nothing in return as Whyte slashed the Australian's championship lead back to four wins, seven days after Prebble's six at Happy Valley created history and looked to put the job beyond him.
'That's awesome - I've been waiting for a big day like this and thought I had the ammunition on paper today but they still have to get there and do it,' Whyte said after winning on Entrapment, Showtime and Enhanced for John Size and adding the Tony Cruz-trained All Time High and John Moore's Final Answer for good measure.
'It's hard but I'm a fighter. Brett is in the best position, sure, and I probably need another big day like this to have any chance of winning it but I love competition and I will go right down to the final day.'
The five-win haul left the championship equation for Whyte and Prebble at 92-96, with 48 races still to be contested.
Whyte's combination with Size has been his vital weapon in trying to run down Prebble, who has led for most of the season, and even as the term draws near to a close, the yard produced yet another outstanding newcomer in final race, Enhanced.
