After placings in three of his first five race starts, Team Hawkestrained three-year-old gelding Hong Qigong broke through for a promising win, resuming here. He was slow to move but recovered to settle in third place on the rails in the small field. He angled deeper and into clear running on straightening and finished well in the sprint home (last 600m 32.25) to score narrowly but quite impressively. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained filly Pulang Pula raced outside the leader (Usurp) and got the better of that horse at the 200m but could not hold off the late closing winner to take a promising second (beaten a head), resuming here at only her second race start.