Richard Gibson's new stable acquisition comes to hand quickly
Richard Gibson-trained stayer Take To The Limit landed his first win at just his second outing for the yard in the Kowloon Cricket Club Centenary Cup (2,200m) even without quite having ticks in all the boxes. Both Gibson and jockey Olivier Doleuze had been hoping for a little rain and Doleuze said he had concerns about the quick step from 1,600m to 2,200m in three weeks. "His first run for us was quite good, but he has the kind of action that he'll be better with give in the ground towards the end of the season. The rain that has been around the last couple of days probably helped a lot, but we still had a good track today," Doleuze said. "Richard took off the blinkers, the horse travelled nicely and finished his race off better than I expected - I worried 2,200m might be too far too soon. But he's won now so the pressure is off but Class Two won't be easy against better horses." Alan Aitken
English trainer Sean Woods absent as he brings up eighth win of the term
It hasn't exactly been raining winners at Sean Woods' stable and the popular British horseman was in England when long term Class Five project Hear The Roar scored a surprise success in the third race, but he kept up the stable's reputation as one to be watched on the dirt. An eight-year-old with breathing issues, Hear the Roar came from last for 10-pound claimer Jack Wong Ho-nam to win at over 30-1 in his fourth career victory, but the first since he scored at Happy Valley in November, 2012, rated 71. Woods has had 35 winners in the past three terms, with 17 of those coming on the all-weather surface, and remarkably has yet to have a winner on the main track at Sha Tin this season. His last Sha Tin turf victory was with So Caffe last July. Alan Aitken
Nervous moments as riding roster stretched to the limit
All was well that ended well, but Jockey Club officials must have had anxious moments over yesterday's three-jockey fall, even above and beyond concerns for the well-being of Neil Callan, Howard Cheng Yue-tin and Zac Purton. With five of the current jockey roster banned, the jockeys' room contained no surplus. Purton was ruled fit to ride on after the sixth, which is just as well as the only rider available to replace him in the last race would have been 10-pound claimer Jack Wong Ho-nam. Under the rules, seniors cannot be replaced by 10-pound claimers, and Brilliant Shine would have to have been scratched. All's well that ends well? Not entirely - Brilliant Shine was blocked for clear running and might just as well have not been there at all. Alan Aitken
