Mo, Yip steal The Show, Latest Racing News - The New Paper
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Mo, Yip steal The Show

Horse provides rider and trainer with their 70th and 700th winner respectively

Apprentice rider Dylan Mo hit a landmark 70 and trainer Dennis Yip a milestone 700, thanks to The Show's wide surge down the Happy Valley straight on Wednesday night.

Mo was elated as he swept past the winning-post half a length ahead of runner-up Super Euro Star and saluted the victory that sealed his graduation from the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Apprentice Jockeys' School.

"I'm very happy, it's very exciting," said Mo , his face beaming and adrenaline still fizzing, after receiving his graduation silver platter and sash.

"After the win, I just saluted. I enjoyed it and it was very exciting."

Mo's 70th win, in the Class 4 Broom Handicap over 1,200m, came two years and two months after his first aboard the deliciously named Fish N' Chips.

Yip, meanwhile, arrived at his 700th score in his 17th season with a licence.

The popular local handler enjoyed the biggest night of his career at Happy Valley almost six years ago, when he claimed the champion trainer title on the dramatic final day of the 2012/13 season.

"It's another step," he said. "Every winner is difficult to get in Hong Kong and it's taken me 17 seasons. Today, he was drawn a little bit wide but the horse was in very good condition, so I used the kid and I told him to jump fast, get him comfortable and then try for the best."

Mo was forced to suffer a three-wide alley in midfield after breaking from gate 10 but The Show was game for the challenge.

The eight-year-old's momentum was rolling as he swung even wider into the straight and maintained his run to the wire.

"I just rode him around horses and I could feel he was coming home very strong. I just rode him through the line," said Mo.

"I was half-and-half about whether I was going to get the win. Sometimes the front-runners are hard to catch-up, so I was just doing it step-by-step."

And step-by-step is how Mo will continue.

"I will keep going; try my best; keep working hard," he said.

The rider, who has been guided through his apprenticeship by trainer Danny Shum, notched 24 wins in his first Hong Kong season, 25 despite a bad hip injury last term, and has 21 in this campaign.

Yip, meanwhile, had warm words for Mo.

"Congratulations to Dylan. I think he will become a good jockey and I will try to support him," he said.

The night's feature - the Class 1 Happy Valley Vase Handicap over 1,800m went to Citron Spirit.

Trainer Ricky Yiu was full of praise for his stable stalwart, who now has six wins from 33 Hong Kong starts.

"He's always a chance because he's a very honest horse. He keeps trying," he said.

Jockey Matthew Poon settled the seven-year-old second-last in the eight-runner field, shifted out on the home turn and rifled home down the stands' side for a 3/4-length score at odds of 9.1. - HKJC

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