The return of Happy Valley yesterday proved a happy hunting ground for Douglas Whyte, who left with a double and a pair of horses he believes can help him in his quest to reclaim the jockeys' title.

Whyte completed his fourth double of the season with Class Four duo Longwah Amber and Excel Oneself, and the rider believes both horses will be improved for the trip to the city circuit.

"Both horses are not quite there yet mentally, and the trip away can do wonders," Whyte said.

"I think both horses can continue to improve as they mature, and today was another step for both of them."

International sales graduate Longwah Amber is in some respects the star of the Gary Ng Ting-keung yard, by virtue of being last December's top lot at HK$7.5 million, but after the son of Exceed and Excel posted his second win at his seventh start, Ng was quick to hose down expectations.

"Money never matters once they step onto the racetrack - the list of expensive horses to fail is long," Ng said. "He's still not all there so I wanted to bring him back to Happy Valley to help him develop."

"I think he's a better horse chasing, so I was happy for Douglas to take a sit behind them, and he proved too strong."

"I think he can get to the bottom of Class Two, but it's going to be tough - I think he'll find 1,200m too short in time, but the 1,650m is probably a stretch, so he'll probably become a 1,400m Sha Tin horse."

Whyte explained that immaturity had cost the horse at his previous start, when second to Tony Millard's Soul Achiever.

"He just overraced a touch for my liking at Sha Tin - he was fresh, and while he fought on I wanted him to settle better today. So I managed to get him into a nice position, he travelled really well and he attacked the line nicely."

"He's improving with every race and I think he'll do well now down in the weights in Class Three."

It was a similar story with Excel Oneself, with Whyte positioning the Me Tsui Yu-sak galloper in the box seat before switching him out at the top of the straight and proving too good for the heavily backed favourite Jolly Posh (Vincent Ho Chak-yiu).

"He was also a bit fresh when he resumed," Whyte said. "He had to work hard to get to the lead and today he was able to have a much easier run. He quickened nicely and showed again what he showed here at the end of last season, that there might still be more in him yet."

Whyte was on the quick back-up from riding in Melbourne on Saturday, where he finished seventh in the Caulfield Cup on Junoob, and he said the horse wasn't suited around the tight Caulfield track.

"He struggled getting around the bends, and he was on the wrong leg on the home turn until Glen Boss [on Who Shot Thebarman] gave him a little nudge and he righted himself and wound up nicely."

"I can't ride him in the Melbourne Cup due to a suspension - you have to take the good with the bad - but he'll be a nice pick-up ride for someone."