California Spangle joined Beauty Generation as a back-to-back Group Two Sha Tin Trophy (1,600m) champion on Sunday as his new rider, Hugh Bowman, completed his second Hong Kong four-timer and his former rider, Zac Purton, attracted a pointed assessment from the winner’s trainer, Tony Cruz.

Bowman, who also rode Kyrus Unicorn, Summit Cheers and Noble Pursuit to Sha Tin successes to equal his highest number of victories at a single city meeting, took California Spangle straight to the front in the Sha Tin Trophy, and that is where the new partnership stayed throughout the feature event.

Sent off at $4.4 – the second biggest price of his 19-start career – California Spangle made light work of carrying the Sha Tin Trophy top weight for the second consecutive year, leading all the way to beat Encountered by half a length, with odds-on favourite Beauty Eternal the same margin again back in third.

Cruz praised California Spangle and Bowman for their efforts, but not before he began his post-race interview with a comment directed at his fellow six-time Hong Kong champion jockey, Purton.

“Let me remind you, Zac had first choice on this horse. He made the wrong decision,” Cruz said after California Spangle equalled the Sha Tin Trophy feats of 2017 and 2018 champion Beauty Generation.

“But anyway, Hugh Bowman is going to stick with the horse for his next run, the [Group Two Jockey Club Mile], and then the [Group One Hong Kong Mile]. Bowman will be riding the horse all the time.

“[Bowman is a] top-class jockey. He made the problem look pretty simple [to solve]. He showed his class, the horse, and [Bowman] rode a perfect race.”

Bowman booted California Spangle to the lead from the outside gate, and the duo went through the first 400m in close to standard time for a Group-level mile contest. They took it easier through the second and third 400m sections before clocking 22.44 seconds for the final quarter mile – a closing burst that only sixth-placed Senor Toba bettered by more than one-tenth of a second.

“I was concentrating on my horse and his rhythm. He’s a free-rolling type. I was surprised there wasn’t a little more pressure during the early stages, but it wasn’t in my interests to go too slow anyway,” Bowman said after California Spangle won the Sha Tin Trophy in 1:34.18 – the class benchmark for a 1,600m event at headquarters is 1:33.8.

“There wasn’t a lot of pressure and, with the impost of 135 pounds, that helped him at the business end of proceedings. I was confident of a big performance – win, lose or draw – and he hasn’t disappointed.”

Bowman’s four-timer also featured a double for David Hall and a single for Caspar Fownes. Hall-conditioned gallopers Kyrus Unicorn and Summit Cheers took out the Class Five Wo Che Handicap (2,000m) and the Class Four Shek Mun Handicap (1,000m), respectively.

Fownes-prepared youngster Noble Pursuit won the second section of the Class Four Sun Tin Wai Handicap (1,400m).

“It’s hard to do. I had a nice book of rides. I didn’t think I had any stand-outs, but I started on a good note with Kyrus Unicorn. He trialled really well at the Valley, and it didn’t surprise me to see him perform like that.

“Summit Cheers was outstanding, and Noble Pursuit was outstanding last start. He had to do it himself. He didn’t have much help.”

Bowman’s four-timer catapulted him back to the top of the jockeys’ championship – he leads Purton by one win – but the 43-year-old rider has only two meetings before he sits out five cards in a row.

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Issued a two-meeting suspension for careless riding aboard Savvy Delight at Happy Valley on Wednesday, Bowman received a three-card ban for committing the same offence on Snowman at Randwick on Saturday.

“Unfortunately, I made an error of judgment in Sydney, and that’s cost me a few meetings here, but it’s no good dwelling on it,” Bowman said.

“I mean, I should be a bit more mature than that, but look, it is what it is. Fair’s fair, so I’ll serve my suspension after next Sunday. I’ve got a big week ahead, so I’ll focus on that.”