Trainer Manfred Man Ka-leung has hailed apprentice Britney Wong Po-ni's development after a composed ride aboard Robot Knight at Sha Tin last night showed she is becoming more than a one-dimensional frontrunner.
Wong resisted the urge to lead and instead threaded a late rails run to claim the Class 5 over 1,200 meters at the all-weather track.
Robot Knight looked set to find the front, but when Hugh Bowman pushed the issue on Spicy Spangle, Wong took a sit, bided her time, and pounced late.
"That was a smart ride by Britney," Man told local media. "When she saw the other horse keep trying for the front, she let him go ahead and eased back and that won her the race."
It is a notable shift for Wong. Like many Hong Kong apprentices, her early career was built on frontrunning – lead, rail and go. She led all the way in eight of her 18 wins last season and all but one came from inside the first three in running.
With her claim reduced to seven pounds at the start of this term, Wong has had to evolve. The numbers say she is doing just that – just two of her 10 wins this season have been wire-to-wire efforts and four have come from sixth or worse in running.
Wong missed more than four months after breaking her leg in November and has now ridden four winners since her return.
Man has been her biggest backer, providing five of Wong's 10 wins this season. He supplied half her total wins in her debut campaign, too.
The trainer said the key to Robot Knight's breakthrough – his first win in 18 months – was booking Wong to ride the horse in a barrier trial back in September and in recent gallops.
"The seven-pound claim helped, the barrier helped, of course, but it also helped that we got Britney to ride the horse – the familiarity made a difference," he said.
Two races later, Hong Kong's newest 10-pound claimer Nichola Yuen Hang-yiu got the old-school instructions Wong used to receive: find the front and go.
Yuen delivered on Yoda's Choice for trainer Pierre Ng Pang-chi, who was happy to take advantage of the full claim.
"I think we were unlucky last time – we lost a close one – so we went with the 10-pound claim, and it made the difference today," Ng told The Standard. "He is maintaining form this season and hopefully we can win again before the end of the season."
It was Yuen's sixth winner at just her seventh meeting since debuting on April 1 – a strike rate that has trainers queuing up.
Ng joked he might have to lobby trainer Ricky Yiu Poon-fai, who handles the apprentice, for more opportunities.
"That was her first winner for me and hopefully Ricky lets us give her more rides," he said.
Meanwhile, unheralded sprinter Notthesillyone has emerged as an unlikely influence in Mark Newnham's push for a maiden trainers' championship.
Notthesillyone started the term in Class 5 but won his fourth race of the season on Wednesday night – this time carrying top weight in Class 4 – to push Newnham two wins clear of second-placed Caspar Fownes in the championship. Fownes clawed one back later in the evening to trim the gap to one.
"Those four wins will help a lot for the trainers' championship," Newnham said. "Considering he won a Class 5 a short head late last season and had the help of a low draw, I didn't factor him winning four races this time in, but he keeps improving."
Asked if Notthesillyone could continue to contribute up in Class 3 next start, Newnham said: "Well, I have underestimated him before, so I am not saying he can't."
𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓
