Mirco Demuro had done well enough during his brief tenure last season to expect winners would come when he started a new contract last week, but they arrived quicker and in bigger numbers than anticipated as he tore the middle out of the Sha Tin card.
Demuro landed 12 wins in an abbreviated contract in 2013-14, although two of those had been on International Jockeys' Championship night at Happy Valley before returning in January for a club jockey stint.
He was well patronised last weekend with nine rides without winning but was happier after yesterday's treble got him up and running.
"I looked to have some good horses today but then you need luck as well - a good ride without luck can lose just as easily as win," said Demuro after Rock The Tree, Star Track and Packing Llaregyb collected successive races, including the day's feature. "But I am very happy, it's the kind of start that I wanted."
With Umberto Rispoli and Andrea Atzeni due to begin contracts next Saturday, Hong Kong racing will have three Italian riders at the same time for the first time in history but Demuro has made himself top of that pecking order with his heroics.
Rock The Tree had been running good races without winning, and had been just battling to get into contention in his races so trainer David Ferraris threw blinkers on him for the first time in an attempt to sharpen him up.
"It's nice to win for David, he gave me a winner when I was here last year, and this horse showed plenty of heart," he said. "I was worried that I was going to be stuck wide in the race when I couldn't get over early.
"But it's quite a long way to the first turn, it opened up a little just before the bend and I was able to get in and cover him. The blinkers did help a lot from what I saw of his other races."
