3 minute read

Former four time Macau champion jockey Luis Corrales was the star of Friday night’s sand program at Taipa when he won the first three races on the card to move into second spot on the rider standings.

Brazil’s Ruan Maia has an unbeatable lead in the jockeys’ standings with 48 wins, 18 ahead of Corrales who is now on 30 with just 12 race days to go. Peter Ho is in third spot on 29 wins.

Corrales was in dazzling form on Friday night. He got punters off to a good start in the first of the night with the $1.6 race favorite Happiness Rose for the combined yard of Victor Chan and Kenny Seo.

Happiness Rose is a son of the Australian G3 winner Walking Or Dancing and made it back to back wins for the stable, having bolted away with a maiden race two weeks prior also on the all weather surface.

The compact four year old that only goes to scale at 1000 pounds possesses good speed away from the gates and is strong at the end of his races. A couple of tidy runs of the turf prior indicated that the gelding’s talents will not just be reserved for the all weather track.

Corrales made it a quick double when he came with a late rush on the Danny Wong trained Gem Eagle to grab victory on the line from Galaxy Elite (Peter Ho), with River Triple (Frankie Choi) close up in third.

Gem Steed is a former David Hayes and Tom Dabernig trained galloper that won a 1400m maiden at Tatura and placed twice at Benalla before being exported to Macau.

Like most of the Good Journey progeny seen in Macau, the four year old is a lover of the sand surface and Friday’s victory was his second in the enclave.

Peter Leyshan’s Falcoshow completed the night for Corrales with a gutsy all the way win the Class 2 & 3 over 1350 metres.

The five year old New Zealand bred son of Showcasing has now made it five wins in Macau all on the sand surface.

Oscar Chavez was again in the winner’s circle with a victory on the Danny Wong prepared Oriental Profit in the Class 2 over 1510 metres when he staved off a late challenge by Same Beauty (Charlie Chan), with Benevolent Friend (Eric Cheung) close up in third.

Chavez has settled in quickly to Macau racing and has kicked home nine winners from 70 rides to date.

Oriental Profits win gave Danny Wong a one win lead over Tony Fung in the trainer’s standings having won with Gem Eagle earlier, however Fung was not to be denied and bounced back with a double in the last two races.

Fung’s Military Star under Peter Ho came with a late burst to beat Desi Style (Wayne Smith) with the heavily bet Grexit (Oscar Chavez) in third.

Then Fung combined with Wayne Smith in the last to win with Hostwin Power who just managed to hold on to beat Yang Jiang Star (Peter Ho), with race favorite Golden Wealth ( Fausto Henrique) back in third.

Tony Fung has a one win lead on 28 victories from Danny Wong on 27, with the combined yard of Victor Chan and Kenny Seo in third on 19 wins.