A day of trebles for Ho, Bowman and Newnham

HONG KONG Vincent Ho completed preparations for his defence of the Longines International Jockeys' Championship (IJC) at Happy Valley on Dec 4 with a treble at Sha Tin on Dec 1 - a haul matched by Hugh Bowman and trainer Mark Newnham.

Four days after becoming only the 11th jockey to ride 600 or more winners in Hong Kong, Ho struck aboard The Boom Box ($25 on the Singapore tote), Vulcanus ($31) and Healthy Healthy ($22) - who successfully backed up for Pierre Ng after providing Ho's milestone victory on Nov 27.

"It's exciting to be involved in the International Jockeys' Championship, but I just take it race by race and see what happens." said Ho.

The first home-grown Hong Kong jockey to win the Longines IJC, Ho will be joined in the four-race series by Zac Purton, Bowman, Karis Teetan, James McDonald, Ryan Moore, Hollie Doyle, Rachel King, Yuga Kawada, Colin Keane, Mickael Barzalona and William Buick.

Ho guided Chris So's first-starter The Boom Box to success in the Class 4 Cameron Handicap (1,200m), advanced to a race-to-race double aboard the Me Tsui-trained Vulcanus in the Class 5 Carnarvon Handicap (1,200m, dirt) and then prevailed on Healthy Healthy.

With 20 wins for the season, Ho trails only Purton (44) and Bowman (24), who also shone atop Reliable Profit ($16), Talents Ambition ($18) and Dragon Joy ($14).

"It's just nice for the horses to be running well, winning is good," said Bowman, fresh from a Happy Valley double on Nov 27.

"It had been a frustrating month but, in saying that, there were only two or three meetings where I really went home thinking 'what's wrong?'

"The other times, even if I wasn't riding winners, I was riding placings. The IJC is going to be more determined by the horses that are drawn - I know I can do the job if I'm on the right horses."

Newnham vaulted into second place in the Hong Kong trainers' championship behind Ng with a treble. Taking his tally to 20 wins to move within two of Ng (22), Newnham struck with Sing Dragon ($18), Talents Ambition and My Wish ($14) in the Class 3 Salisbury Handicap (1,400m) under Luke Ferraris.

"That's a little bit surreal. One thing that has been really consistent from day one of the season is that our horses have raced well every week," Newnham said of his stable's rise to second in the championship.

"We haven't hit any real slumps yet and naturally with the ratings system that will happen at some stage. But we still have some unexposed horses and hopefully they fill the gaps when the others have found their level.

"We came with not a lot of runners, but we did have genuine chances all day and it couldn't have gone better."

Newnham is considering a tilt at the HK$13 million (S$2.2 million) Hong Kong Classic Mile (1,600m) with My Wish on Jan 31.

"He's getting up there to a rating which would suggest that's a good target for him. He's still got to show he can run a mile, but with the way he settled today there's no reason not to try it," said the Australian.

Sing Dragon continued to excel on Sha Tin dirt with victory in the Class 2 The Peninsula Golden Jubilee Challenge Cup Handicap (1,200m). Ridden brilliantly by Matthew Chadwick, the gelding made it four wins from five starts on the all-weather track.

Formerly known as Operative when trained by Chris Waller, Sing Dragon was the first leg of a race-to-race double for Newnham before Talents Ambition won the Class 3 Mody Handicap (1,650m) under Bowman.

Reliable Profit continued his searing synthetic form with a dogged victory for Danny Shum and Bowman in the Class 4 Middle Handicap (1,800m, dirt). A Hong Kong International Sale graduate, Reliable Profit was winless in his first 13 starts, but has hit good form.

Bowman completed his spree atop Dragon Joy in the Class 4 Nathan Handicap (1,400m) for Ricky Yiu.

Purton and David Hayes combined to win the Class 5 Ashley Handicap (1,650m) on Precision Goal ($20), whose head margin denied French jockey Alexis Pouchin a perfect start to his short-term Hong Kong riding stint.

"He (Precision Goal) did a good job. At the 600m, Zac thought he was going to win by four lengths. At the 200m, he thought he was going to get beaten by a neck," said Hayes. HKJC