Douglas Whyte was in Sydney on Wednesday night, but a horse owned by one of his longest-standing supporters gave him a winner at Happy Valley to open the meeting.
Cheerful Wongchoy, owned by Lester Kwok, led throughout under Zac Purton to win the Class 5 D'Aguilar Handicap (1,650 meters) by a length and a quarter.
With Whyte in Sydney for Thursday's Inglis Ready2Race Sale, his partner, Kate Palmer, spoke for the stable.
"He came out of the last run really well and he's a fit horse," she said. "The pace was quite slow, and then when he needed to boost, he just kicked into gear and he went.
"Douglas used to ride for Lester Kwok, he's got a 20-year history with him."
Kwok supported Whyte through a riding career that brought him 13 Hong Kong championships. The win also came seven months after Kwok lost Sterling Wongchoy, who broke down in a Class 5 race over the same course and distance in March.
Purton crossed from barrier seven to lead and ran a soft opening 400m in 28.29 seconds before Cheerful Wongchoy kicked clear under topweight of 135lb. It was a first win at his eighth Hong Kong start for the New Zealand-bred five-year-old, who moved to Whyte from Piere Ng Pang-chi this season, and the fourth win from five pairings this term for Whyte and Purton.
Caspar Fownes is also in Sydney, and his son Ronan stood in after Elegant Life won the Class 4 Finance Handicap (1,200m) under Ellis Wong Chi-wang.
Ronan Fownes said the gelding's form had been better than his seventh at the Valley last month suggested.
"Within his last four starts, he had won and run third," he said. "I think even last start, there was some merit because he drew wide. He jumped well, he had to get shuffled back and if he ended up following Zac, he would have improved and probably not been beaten by four lengths.
"He had a slightly better draw this time out, and race fitness, obviously. He pinged it well, and Ellis rode him a treat. He was in a good position from start to finish."
Fownes said the win meant a lot for Wong, who completed his apprenticeship under his father earlier this year.
"So proud of him, happy for him," he said.
