Ho notches sweet double, Lui nails key three-timer
HONG KONG Excited ahead of a FWD Champions Day reunion with champion Golden Sixty on April 28, Vincent Ho gained vital confidence and fitness with his first double in almost three months at Sha Tin on April 14.
Sidelined after a fall on Jan 24, Ho returned to race riding at Happy Valley on April 10 and, following a couple of luckless rides, was elated after successfully joining forces with long-time ally Francis Lui aboard Baby Crystal in the Class 3 Dongsinan Handicap (1,000m) and Holy Lake in the Class 3 Dongcheng District Handicap (1,600m).
Determined to rebuild the momentum that delivered 25 wins before he was injured, Ho is also focused on Golden Sixty’s pursuit of a record-extending fourth HK$22 million (S$3.82 million) Group 1 FWD Champions Mile (1,600m) victory in two weeks.
“It’s great to be back. It’s been three months and I’ve slowly been building my confidence back up,” Ho, a four-time winner of the Tony Cruz Award as Hong Kong’s leading home-grown jockey, said.
“I’ll keep going and keep building up for Champions Day. That is the big day. Hopefully, everything goes well up to then and I’m just excited to be back. I’ve got a nice horse (Golden Sixty) to be back on.
“There’re a few good horses from Hong Kong and Japan (in the FWD Champions Mile), so it will be exciting. I’m looking forward to it and we’ll be ready by then.
“Thanks to Mr Lui and Mr (Caspar) Fownes for keeping me on horses with good chances. I’ve been trying to win since I came back (at Happy Valley on April 10).”
Lui also scored with the Hugh Bowman-ridden King Miles in the Class 4 Beijing Clubhouse Anniversary Cup Handicap (1,200m) to commence his treble, reduce Pierre Ng’s lead in the 2023-24 Hong Kong trainers’ championship to five – 55 to 50 – and fan hopes of a first title for the veteran horseman.
Meanwhile, trainer Jimmy Ting enjoyed his best day of the season with a double through Thunder Blink and Lo Pan Spirit.
Thunder Blink claimed the first Griffin race of the season when the Ribchester colt finished powerfully under Jerry Chau to claim the Wangfujing Plate (1,000m).
Ting then combined with Harry Bentley and Charm Spirit three-year-old Lo Pan Spirit to clinch the Class 4 Hong Kong Lions Cup (1,200m). HKJC
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