Wong flies solo: freelance start pays off with first double of the season

Eleven rides into the season, Ellis Wong Chi-wang had nothing to show for it. By the end of Sunday’s meeting at Sha Tin he had two winners, both upsets, and the type of start his first full freelance season badly needed.

The 25-year-old took a 1,600-meter Class 4 on Luck Is Back at 32-to-1, then a 1,000-m Class 3 on Alpha Strike at 10-to-1, leading all the way to beat hot favorite Solid State. It capped a big afternoon for Hong Kong's home-grown riders, who won five of the 10 races.

"I hope I can improve my record from last season and get better results this season," Wong told The Standard. "I'll try to get more support from outside, work hard, get more rides and get more wins."

Wong has been riding with a three-pound claim since graduating in February, when he brought up his 70th Hong Kong win aboard the Fownes-trained Lucky Generations at Happy Valley, his allowance then dropping from five pounds to three.

Wong's opportunities at the Fownes stable were then diminished in April, when the trainer secured Joao Moreira as a retained rider for the run to a fifth title. Wong kept riding work through it, and when Moreira was sidelined by a suspension late in the season he delivered, winning on Silver Spurs on July 1 to keep Fownes five clear with four meetings left.

The relationship survived and nine of Wong's 14 rides this season have come from the Fownes yard, with Danny Shum a second key supporter.

"I still ride a lot for Caspar," Wong said. "Then every day I ride work for Danny, and he gives me some rides and some support."

Fownes was quick to talk up his former apprentice.

"That's wonderful to see. I'm all supportive of the local boys and girls doing well in this environment," he said. "Great to see him get a double. He puts the time in, he puts the effort in, so he deserves a bit of luck and success."

Fownes said the allowance made Wong a valuable booking, but added that he will need to keep the winners coming.

"It's important for him to rally and get some winners so people can still say he can ride with a three-pound claim," Fownes said. "If he can ride well with a three-pound claim in this riding environment, it's very, very handy. Three pounds is three pounds, let me tell you. It makes a difference over here."

Alpha Strike's win caught his trainer out.

"He trialed very well here around 10 days ago and he looks in really good form," Fownes said. "But it came as a bit of a shock. I thought the favorite would be very hard to beat."

The gelding, who had a few issues to work through, is likely to be tried on dirt next.

Wong has also set a target beyond the winners column after a season littered with suspensions.

"I got a lot of suspensions last season," he said. "I hope I can be better. Maybe only three this season."

Derek Leung Ka-chun also rode a double, taking a Class 5 on Draco and a Class 4 on Absolute Awakened, both over 1,400m. 

Apprentice Nichola Yuen Hang-yiu moved within four winners of cutting her claim from 10 pounds to seven, winning aboard Lucy In The Sky in a 1200 meter Class 3.

"Four more winners to seven pounds, so I'm excited," Yuen said. "But I've still got the claim, and I'll try to make everyone know it's not much different. Even 10 to seven, I'll do my best every time, every race."

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