Scores were levelled up again yesterday in Macau as top local trainer Joe Lau continued his reign as the most successful interport trainer, winning the Macau Hong Kong Trophy with Clown Master.
Ridden beautifully by Stanley Chin Kin-ming, who cut the corner to save ground on the gelding, Clown Master became the third individual winner of interport races trained by Lau, who had won previously with Crown's Gift and Crown's Master.
Clown Master, a 16-1 chance, headed off Hong Kong's St Fevre (Matthew Chadwick) by a neck, with another Macau runner, Wealthy Man, in third.
The Caspar Fownes-trained Blue Sky finished fourth in the race, but the event was not a success for Hong Kong overall - Elegance Desire, Soaring Dragon and Our Lucky Baby all finished towards the rear.
The hometown win made it eight wins apiece between Hong Kong and Macau in the 16 runnings of the cross-port challenges, after Sparkling Power won the most recent running in Hong Kong last month. However, it was the fourth victory by Lau (pictured) - a tally that would have been five but for a positive swab returned by Crown's Master when he won at Sha Tin in 2007 - and the Taipa trainer leads Tony Cruz as the most successful trainer in these events.
The meeting featured four Group One events - arguably Macau's biggest ever race day - with former New Zealand trainer Paddy Busuttin taking out the Macau Derby with Imabayboy.
