Source:
https://scmp.com/article/18130/lo-bounces-back-welcome-valley-double

Lo bounces back with welcome Valley double

EDDIE K .C. Lo made a timely return to form with an 18-1 double via Celestial Marshal and Outsider II at Happy Valley's equitrack meeting last night.

A difficult season was made worse for Lo last Friday when one of his best horses, Sound-N-Right, suffered a terrible bleeding attack.

Insult was added to injury when Lo was then fined $10,000 for failing to report the incident.

But he responded in the best possible way last night with Celestial Marshal always looking the winner for Tony Cruz in the third and then Outsider II landing a well-backed double in the last under a copybook ride from Brent Thomson.

Lo, moving to eight winners for the campaign, said: ''Let's hope this is a sign of things to come. I'm hopeful of a much better second half to the season.

''Tony showed his class in front on Celestial Marshal and then Brent rode the perfect race in the last.'' Celestial Marshal was yet another horse to make all the running on the equitrack surface. And when it comes to dictating the pace there are few better jockeys than Cruz who, on 31 winners, was extending his lead in the jockeys' championship to three over Gerald Mosse.

Jimmy Ting tried similar tactics on Top News over a mile in the second event only to be caught in the last 150 metres by Lawrie Fownes' Speed Way who loves the dirt.

Fownes has now sent out 21 winners and is only one behind Patrick Biancone and Peter Ng Bik-kuen at the head of the trainer standings.

Visiting English star, Alan Munro, moved into double figures for his three-month stint when 7-5 favourite Viva St Paul's proved far too good for his rivals in the opening Class Six sprint.

Viva St Paul's won like an odds-on chance should, despite missing the break from his outside draw and having to circle the field coming into the home straight.

From there he was always going to hold Neville Begg's Magic Run who ran on well for second.

''There's nothing to stop this horse going and winning again,'' said Munro. ''Gary (Ng Ting-keung) has discovered the key to him and he's improving all the time, both in his races and in his work.'' Declan Murphy experienced a bitter-sweet evening. He rode the perfect race on Geoff Lane's Let It Ride to hold the fast-finishing Classic Warrior in the fourth event.

Let It Ride had been unlucky when fourth to Jacko over 1,235 metres on the grass last time and appreciated the step up in distance to a mile and a return to the equitrack.

But Murphy gave Rose Garden plenty to do in the fifth event before running home strongly for third behind Crescendo who was given a great ride from the front by K.H. 'Little' Hung.

All of racing could not have been more delighted by Crescendo's victory as trainer Lam Hung-fie lost his wife on Tuesday and everyone's sympathies are extended to him.

Bolshoi Prince, one of the best horses in Wong Tang-ping's yard, was yesterday retired in what is proving a frustrating season for Ping.