Punters were floored and trainer Chris So Wai-yin was in shock when dirt specialist Sing Dragon bagged a blowout victory at $105.25 in Sunday’s Class Two Albert Handicap (1,200m) at Sha Tin.

In what could stand as the biggest upset of the entire season, Sing Dragon kept on strongly on the pace under Matthew Chadwick to prevail in a thrilling finish, beating fellow dirt performer Victory Sky by a short head.

Sing Dragon has won five races on Sha Tin’s all-weather surface but had never been placed in 14 turf runs before Sunday’s shock result.

“Honestly I didn’t expect it – it was a surprise,” So said.

“I hoped he could come back strong but not that – we were looking for the dirt races in the programme.”

Infinite Resolve ran on strongly from last to finish a close third, while the $2.1 favourite Winning Ovation could only manage sixth but pulled up with an irregular heart rhythm.

So had a Class Three dirt race next month in mind for Sing Dragon, but Sunday’s stunning triumph will force him to stay in Class Two because of his rating.

“We had a race for him in the middle of October, but it’s 85-60 and now he’s over. Now, I need to see, the plan is totally changed now but good to have a winner,” So said.

“It’s good on the first day – I hoped we would win the first race with Sunny Q but it’s good to have a winner.”

Sing Dragon helped So bounce back from Sunny Q’s defeat in the opening race of the season, the Class Five Glenealy Handicap (1,200m).

Sent off the $2.3 favourite, Sunny Q ran on late but could only manage sixth. Jockey Zac Purton bemoaned the six-year-old refusing to settle after he was steadied at the 900m.

Elsewhere on Sunday’s undercard, four-year-olds Baby Sakura and Joyful Joy enhanced their Classic Series credentials with impressive wins.

Francis Lui Kin-wai’s Baby Sakura improved his record to four wins from seven starts with a narrow triumph in the Class Three Cotton Tree Handicap (1,400m) under Vincent Ho Chak-yiu.

Joyful Joy made it two wins from three starts for trainer Mark Newnham when he stormed home from near last under Hugh Bowman to claim the Class Four Fenwick Handicap (1,400m).

Andrea Atzeni shared riding honours with Purton with a double, booting home Danny Shum Chap-shing’s General Smart in class record time in the Class Five Harcourt Handicap (1,600m) before helping John Size’s Spicy Standard overcome barrier 12 to win the Class Four Edinburgh Handicap (1,200m).