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Exciting Macau three year old Invincible is living right up to his name with another dominant win at Taips on the December 16 sand program.

Ridden by regular rider Horace Lam, Invincible burst away from the gates to take the lead early but was pressed hard in the run by second favorite Evergreen Star (Ryan Curatolo).

These two gradually surged away from the field in a race of their own and cut out some slick sectionals early.

Invincible turned for home with a narrow lead from Evergreen Star who appeared to be traveling the better, however once Lam got to work on Invincible the bay gelding found plenty more and was pulling away on the line to score by easily from Evergreen Star, with eight lengths back to the rest.

Invincible recorded a nippy 1.02.1 for the 1050 metres which is the second fastest time clocked for the trip on the sand since the recent refurbishing of the all weather track. The quickest was the brilliant River Bobo at 1.02 dead in Class 1 back on November 11.

Whilst he has looked magnificent in his four wins at 1050 metres on the sand, Invincible really is bred to run a lot further and on turf at that.

His sire War Chant won the 2000 Breeder’s Cup Turf and was second in the Santa Anita Derby over nine furlongs, while his dam the Grand Lodge mare Miss Belair was a 2000 metre winner at Flemington in Australia.

The gelding will no doubt be looking at the juvenile turf classics in the early part of next year, and there is no reason at all breeding wise that Invincible could not develop into a great Derby prospect in his fourth year.

The gelding has proved a bargain buy for owner Chow Ho Duen who secured the horse for $A26,000 from the 2015 Magic Millions Gold Coast 2Y0 in Training Sale on the advice of trainer Louis Ho.

Ho resisted the temptation to run Invincible as a two year old instead giving him plenty of time to acclimatize and build up after arriving in Macau.

Invincible’s first run was on August 27 at the close of last season on a rating of 35. After Friday night’s win the three year old is on a mark of 73. A mark that will no doubt continue to climb quickly as he makes his way to the class 1 ranks.

OBRIGADO MAIS is another horse headed for better things following another strong win in the Class 2 over 1500 metres on Friday night’s program.

The grey gelding lifted late under jockey Wayne Smith to down pacemaker Harbour Star (Frankie Choi) in the shadows of the post to win by a half a length, with Red Dragon (Cliffy Lai) close up in third.

The win was almost a carbon copy of the four year olds first win in Macau on December 2. On that occasion he appeared as if he wasn’t going to wear down Dutch Interior, however he really dug in over the final 50 metres to surge on by of Dutch Interior to win well.

On Friday night the free running Harbour Star looked like he was going to win for all money until Wayne Smith switched his whip from right to left at the one fifty mark, and then the gelding really found another gear to power home to win by a half length at the wire.

The win gave the son of Husson two from two since arriving in Macau from the stables of Robert Smerdon in Victoria. The four year old bolted home in a maiden at Geelong when racing as Boganaire before being sold to Macau owner Tam Vai Lam.

Obrigado Mais is another that on breeding could well be a force in the four year turf classics in the New Year with plenty of turf breeding in his pedigree being a grandson of El Prado.

Wayne Smith took riding honors for the night having earlier won on the Peter Leyshan prepared Falcoshow in the 30 to 55 rated contest over 1050 metres.

The neat looking son of Showcasing made light of his 13 gate to push forward to share the lead to the corner, before darting away in the straight for an easy win over Nickel Alloy (Horace Lam), with Show Smart (Breinell Yamzon) not far away in third.

The win made it two wins from three starts for the four year old who looks to have a good future on the sand.

Brazilian jockey Ruan Maia put himself on the scoreboard with a late pick up ride on the very consistent God Get People for trainer Stanley Chin in the 25 to 45 rated Handicap over 1350 metres.

Maia was granted a six month visiting license with the MJC and commenced riding here on December 2nd. Fridays night win came at the expense of Mauritian rider Akash Aucharuz who was unable to fulfill his riding commitments due to torn ligaments in his back following a track accident.

Maia has the neat polished low line style of the Brazilian riders and will slot into Macau racing well alongside of countryman Leo Salles.

Able to ride comfortably at 116 pounds, Maia has over 360 winners to his credit.