It was four years ago this week that trainer David Eustace helped Ethan Brown secure his first Group 1 win and on Wednesday night the pair combined for a victory that could prove crucial in propelling the young Australian jockey's Hong Kong career.
Eustace was co-training with Ciaron Maher when they prepared Snapdancer to win the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville in May 2022, a big-race breakthrough for the then-23-year-old Brown.
The jockey has since made a courageous comeback from life-threatening injuries sustained in a 2023 fall and made an immediate impact on his first night riding in Hong Kong, winning with his third ride at Happy Valley on April 22.
Brown had to wait 30 rides for his second victory but produced a perfect ride aboard Podium in the Class 5 Maisons-Laffitte Handicap (1,650m), settling the seven-year-old just behind the speed before easing three-wide around the home turn and staving off the fast-finishing Setanta by a short head.
"Like everybody here, Ethan rides very well – he just needs opportunities and it is great to give him that and get another winner on the board for him," Eustace said. "I am sure he will start to build some momentum now.
"We had plenty to do with him in Australia, from very early on he rode winners for Ciaron and I, right back to when he was an apprentice, through to outriding his claim and beyond on to the Group 1s. He has always been able to ride very well, and he has a good head on his shoulders."
Eustace was happy to play his part in helping Brown establish himself in Hong Kong, with the 27-year-old currently licensed to ride until the season finale on July 15. Brown has previously expressed an interest in making his stint permanent and with officials meeting in coming weeks to decide the makeup of next season's riding roster, his success during the next few meetings could prove pivotal to his future in the city.
Brown had remained around the mark during his 30-ride stretch between winners, recording two seconds, four thirds and five fourths, with Nyx Gluck, Solid Car, Fantastic Fun, Young Arrow and Harmony Fire among those to run into the placings or finish close up before Podium ended the wait.
Podium went into Wednesday's race off a last-start Valley win for Eustace, having scored over the same course and distance on April 23. This time he carried 135 pounds from barrier three and again proved tough late.
Meanwhile, Danny Shum Chap-shing doesn't have much to prove to owner Peter Lau Pak-fai – the pair have combined to campaign Romantic Warrior, one of the greatest horses in Hong Kong racing history – but the trainer continues to deliver with other talents in Lau's now-famous blue and white silks.
First there was Romantic Thor's success in the Group 3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup at the start of the month and on Wednesday night three-year-old Romantic Gladiator was set on a path to next year's BMW Hong Kong Derby with victory in the Class 3 French May Trophy (1,650m).
Romantic Gladiator was unbeaten in two starts for William Knight in England but had been winless through four starts for Shum. Sent off the even-money favorite under Zac Purton, he scored by three-quarters of a length from Fivefortwo, with All Round Winner a length and a half back in third.
Romantic Thor will also be ridden by Purton when he tackles stablemate Romantic Warrior in the Group 1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup on May 24 as Romantic Warrior bids to become the third horse to complete Hong Kong racing's Triple Crown.
𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓
