Karis Teetan's positive outlook helped him through an inevitable dry spell that followed a big start to the season, but the Mauritian now faces another test of character after back-to-back careless riding suspensions cost him rides on the biggest day of the calendar.
A David Ferraris-trained double on Amazing Always and Activism halted a 36-ride winless streak for Teetan, but he found trouble and will now miss international day on December 8 and the International Jockeys' Championship on the preceding Wednesday, where he was in line to represent his homeland.
"You've just got to keep your spirits high and do the work - just like when I got that flat spot, you've just got to do what you do," Teetan said after the double took him to 13 wins for the term. "I'm disappointed to be missing those two big days, but I guess now I've just got to do the same thing and stay positive."
The 23-year-old had already been given a three-day ban last Wednesday, and another three days for causing interference at the 250m mark on Supreme Falcon saw that stint on the sideline extended to the meeting on December 15.
Teetan and Ferraris believe both winners have further scope for improvement, particularly Activism, who had dropped into Class Four through 16-runs, but had been second at his last two over 1,800m at Happy Valley.
"The thing about this horse is that he can stay, but he is no plodder," Ferraris said. "He is a nice little horse, he sound, not very big, but he stays all day. I really thought this was his race here over 1,800m, but he obviously goes well at both tracks and that gives us options. There's a 2,200m Class Four coming up at Happy Valley that looks a very nice race for him."
Activism also had the benefit of race favourite Hey Cheers leaving his jockey Zac Purton at the gates, the site of a riderless horse tearing past lifting Teetan's confidence levels considerably.
"When I saw the favourite going past with no jockey on I thought, "OK, now I have a real chance." He was the only horse I was worried about. My horse had just been knocking on the door and was too good for them," he said.
Teetan agreed that Activism's turn-of-foot might stand him apart from a garden-variety lower-grade stayer.
"He can give you that 150m burst - there's always something in the tank.
"He just loves galloping and he will always quicken up for you, and that's why he can go on from here."
Ferraris gave Teetan his first Hong Kong winner, in the first race of the season no less, with Amazing Always, and the same horse climbed out of Class Five with a win stepping up to 1,400m. "He felt like a much better horse today - he felt stronger and more confident in himself, so I think he is definitely going to improve," Teetan said.
A quarter crack had held Amazing Always back in the past, but Ferraris believed that with that issue resolved the horse would win again in Class Four.
