Fast Network made a mockery of his rivals to win the Class One Essex Handicap (1,200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday, but his participation in the Group One Al Quoz Sprint (1,200m) remains up in the air.

The Dennis Yip Chor-hong-trained five-year-old was well found in the market at $2.05 and delivered a clinical performance under Zac Purton, though his backers had a few anxious moments along the way.

Parked against the fence in midfield for much of the journey, Fast Network tanked into the race and as the field entered the straight, he was screaming for room behind Sky Trust and Tomodachi Kokoroe.

The gap never opened, however, and Purton took the brave route towards the inside, squeezing between Sky Trust and the weakening Beauty Waves, and the writing was soon on the wall.

The pair zipped past Sky Trust in a matter of strides and performed far better than the length and a quarter margin suggests.

Dubai has long been mooted for the smart son of Wrote, but those plans remain up in the air due to the conflict in the Middle East and have left Yip with some big decisions to make.

Whatever happens, however, Yip was certain of one thing – avoiding the world’s best sprinter Ka Ying Rising.

Orman and Hall enjoy doubles

There was drama in the Class Four Norfolk Handicap (1,600m) after first-past-the-post Master Trillion was relegated in the stewards’ room, with the race awarded to The Golden Knight as part of a James Orman double on the card.

Master Trillion, ridden by Derek Leung Ka-chun, travelled just behind the leading wave but was under pressure as the field turned into the straight, stalked all the time by The Golden Knight.

Leung switched his mount off the heels of Mega Mastermind approaching the 300m pole, and that would be the race-defining moment, with James Orman on The Golden Knight being forced to take up as Master Trillion hung across him and took his ground.

Francis Lui Kin-wai’s charge flashed home when in the clear to go down by just a head at the line, with the stewards believing that was enough to sustain the protest and reverse the top two.

It was a maiden victory at the ninth attempt for The Golden Knight, a horse who seems to have become a trouble magnet according to his trainer.

“I was confident of getting it in the stewards’ room, you can see from the head-on that my horse was interfered with in the straight,” said Lui.

“He always finishes well but it depends on the race situation; he always seems to have trouble in his races.

“I think it depends on the programme but I think he could even step up in distance now. I think there is more to come from him.”

The day got better for Orman in the Class Three Cornwall Handicap (1,200m) on dirt, where the up-and-coming Magnifique continued his march up the grades with an impressive performance for David Hall.

Given a spot in third just behind the leading pair, Orman always oozed confidence on the Charm Spirit galloper, who travelled up swinging on the bit at the top of the straight. Magnifique zipped past his rivals when given an inch of rein by Orman, before idling in the closing stages to defeat a game Victory Sky by half a length.

It was a fifth win from seven career starts for the promising four-year-old, who has recovered well from a bleed back in July and is a smart prospect moving forward.

“It was really disappointing when he bled last season, so we’ve kept him in cotton wool I suppose you could say, and looked after him a little bit, and we’re getting rewarded for it. Hopefully now he can get to the next level,” said Hall.

“The breed love the dirt, he’s tried well, I was very happy to go with it in the programme with the 85 rating – the race sort of fitted in. But I don’t think he’s just necessarily a dirt horse so he’ll go to the Class Two at the end of the month on the grass.

“It was quite interesting to see, I mean I know he’s talented so it doesn’t really totally surprise you. We haven’t got Ka Ying Rising but we’ve got a quick one.”

Both of Hall’s triumphs came on the all-weather surface, with Good Chap giving his rivals the slip in the second section of the Class Four Rutland Handicap (1,200m) under Andrea Atzeni.

Travelling three-wide throughout, he rolled off into the centre of the track under the Sardinian jockey and showed a strong burst to knock off Conrad The Great by one and a quarter lengths as the $2.65 favourite.