Most racing fans are waiting for the Dennis Yip Chor-hong stable to strike form in the second half of the season, after suffering in the handicaps for last year's championship victory and there was a flash of form from one of his newer horses on Wednesday night.
Lightly-raced Roman Win had run fairly on his debut at Happy Valley in October but had excuses in three subsequent runs, finishing down the track at both courses.
But, from a good draw this time, Douglas Whyte was able to plant Roman Win just behind the speed in the Class Three trophy event over 1,000m and the former English galloper boxed on strongly for third to Braveness.
There were no excuses, no hard luck stories, but it was a much-improved performance and a pointer to Roman Win taking a step up to winning one in the near future.
Whyte has put a great deal of time into Roman Win in the mornings and this was his third race ride on the gelding in his five local appearances but that perseverance should pay off. The four-year-old is a son of Holy Roman Emperor, whose stock have done so well at the Valley so that might be where his breakthrough comes.
Half an hour later, the horse with the flashing light on him was Francis Lui Kin-wai-trained Strong Foundation, surging home from a conspicuous last to finish fifth behind Rainbow Fighter. After a squeeze early, Strong Foundation settled two to three lengths off the second-last horse, but produced a strong sectional to be beaten just over two lengths.
With a hot pace at the front end, quite a few ran on in the final stages and they were certainly flattered by that tempo, but what separates Strong Foundation is that it was his first run since October and only his second since arriving here, so he has an upside.
Some of his trackwork had indicated improvement beforehand and he will relish a step up in distance. Strong Foundation was blinkered when he won his maiden comfortably in New Zealand and he has looked good in the shades in a trial last month and in his work, and the key to him might be when they go on in a race.
