The “Poon Express” proved unstoppable at Happy Valley on Wednesday night as Matthew Poon Ming-fai became just the second apprentice to claim a four-timer at the course.

Poon opened the night with three of the first four winners on the well-fancied Starlight, Good Companion and E-Super, before he added a fourth on 17-1 chance Inventor for Danny Shum Chap-shing in the sixth and the winning trainer was saying what many were thinking.

“He is just too good to have a seven-pound allowance,” Shum said after Inventor claimed his fifth win at the extended Valley mile after a drop in class.

Poon said he had gone to the meeting with high hopes of winning as many races as he did, but seeing it turn into reality was a thrill as he matched the achievements of Keith Yeung Ming-lun, who won four at the Valley in 2009 as a 10-pound claimer, and Kei Chiong Ka-kei, who won four as an apprentice at Sha Tin last year.

Poon raced through the first part of his allowance last season and is already just 16 winners from a drop to a five-pound claim but that too is unlikely to put a brake on the “Poon Train”.

“I thought this was the best book of rides I’ve had since I started in Hong Kong so I really thought I would have a good night. And just as important as riding the winners, I thought I rode them well and didn’t make any mistakes,” Poon said.

After a lightning start, Matthew Poon looking forward to a rest and some reflection

His ride on Inventor was filled with confidence and dash as he circled the field to steal a march on the turn after being unable to carry out his instructions.

“Danny asked me to be closer but I couldn’t get in and got back, but with the very slow pace I was able to go around them,” he said.

“I’d seen this horse’s replays from last season and Nash Rawiller won a race on him doing the same thing so I was confident he would keep going.”

Poon’s assigned trainer, David Hall, said there had not been an stampede for Poon’s services yet this season but that wasn’t unexpected.

“I think with the small fields most of the jockeys are saying there aren’t that many rides being thrown at them – I saw even Joao Moreira said that – but Matthew’s getting enough of the right kinds of rides and when they divided the Class Four 1,200m and he had a good ride in each, we knew he could be in for a good night,” Hall said.

Trainers Derek Cruz, Dennis Yip Chor-hong, Manfred Man Ka-leung and Tony Millard got off the mark – Millard with a double – while veteran jockey Eddy Lai Wai-ming scored a 57-1 surprise for Chris So Wai-yin on the Racing Club-owned Young Empire.

“We were worried about his rating being too high but, in himself, the horse was very well,” said So. “He’s only small but he has put on some weight this season, which is a good sign, and he was able to lead with a light weight.”

Karis Teetan continued a brilliant start to the season, winning twice, one in the dead-heat finish to race three, to take him to eight wins, trailing Moreira by only two.

Moreira went winless and the sting in the tail was a HK$10,000 fine as well for inappropriate whip use on Regency Honey before the start of race two.

Frenchman Olivier Doleuze was the one casualty in the stewards’ room, copping a two-day suspension and HK$10,000 fine over his ride on Dutch Windmill in the third race and he will miss the meetings on September 24 and 27.

Comments0Comments