As a younger horse, Best Tango won the Italian 2000 Guineas and contested some of his country's classics but it was a long way down to his first win in Hong Kong as the five-year-old broke through at Happy Valley.
Douglas Whyte continued to make hay in the absence of both Joao Moreira and Zac Purton through suspension, but his double on Pakistan Baby and Loving Star was not enough to prevent Brett Prebble stealing the Jockey Challenge honours with his lone victory on Best Tango.
"Everyone can see that this horse was rated to win," said trainer Chris So Wai-yin after Best Tango's comfortable breakthrough victory in Class Four at his 16th local start.
"I'm not taking too much credit for his win because it was all about the handicap. Down to Class Four, I told the owner he had to run well considering what he had done in his past career.
"And I think he will win in Class Three, too. The problem hasn't been with the horse physically but it's his mind that has been hard to manage."
Prebble lucked out in the rest of the card, finishing runner-up on Easy Success, Happy Rocky and Step Faster, while Excel Oneself snatched third near the line in the seventh and that was enough for the Jockey Challenge.
Whyte won four at Sha Tin last Sunday and kept the ball rolling nicely with Pakistan Baby for Tony Cruz and then Loving Star for Gary Ng Ting-keung, each of them taking advantage of a rails run through the race after being slow to begin.
"Pakistan Baby has been running well from bad gates here and the draw told the story tonight," Whyte said.
"I actually think he'll be a better horse at Sha Tin but, at the moment, he's gets too hotheaded there.
"So, while he's still learning, Happy Valley is more suitable for him. I think he'll make a nice Class Three horse in time."
Loving Star has a history of health issues but trainer Ng said he is sounder this season as a seven-year-old and that's why he has been able to get more racing out of him.
"And he's very consistent this season. When he gets the right draw he can win but he is racing well," Ng said.
Manfred Man ka-leung took leading trainer honours, winning successive races with Peace N Prosperity (Karis Teetan) and Secret Agent (Nash Rawiller).
The latter had been a booking for Neil Callan, who was forced to miss the meeting with a right foot injury following Sunday's Sha Tin fall.
"I feel a bit sorry for Neil as he had done a lot of work with Secret Agent and it was his suggestion to take off the hood," said Man.
"It's a shame for him but Nash gave the horse a great ride."
As did Vincent Ho Chak-yiu in winning for Derek Cruz on Brilliant Proposal, who led all the way in the seventh.
That looked unlikely in the lead-up with quite a few speed horses engaged, but they all decided to keep out of any fight for the front and gifted it to Brilliant Proposal instead.
"The other horses with speed drew wide and they decided not to use their speed - my guy was able to cross easily and control things," said a delighted Cruz.
"Once he got a breather through the middle of the race I knew he'd kick strongly and be hard to run down."
The stewards were kept mildly busy with Derek Leung Ka-chun providing the "highlight" of their night when he caused interference early in the fifth race on Hearts Keeper and he copped a three-day careless riding ban.
