Andrea Atzeni had to wait for the photo to learn he had landed the biggest upset of the night at Happy Valley on Wednesday, after Flying Ting Lok held off odds-on favorite Packing Smart in a three-way finish to the Class 4 Ant Digital Technologies Cup (1,200 meters).
The 47-1 outsider for trainer Me Tsui Yu-sak beat Packing Smart and Zac Purton by a short head. Solid Car was another short head away in third.
"We didn't get the best of draws but he jumped, found a nice spot three wide with a bit of cover," Atzeni said. "He came off the bridle a little bit early but once I gave him a couple of clicks behind the saddle he really responded.
"At one stage he looked a little bit vulnerable but in the end he managed to stick his head out over the last 50 – when we hit the line I wasn't sure."
Flying Ting Lok and Andrea Atzeni edge out odds-on favorite Packing Smart in a nail-biting three-way finish to claim the biggest boilover of the night at the Valley. (HKJC)
Atzeni felt the favorite coming at him once the straight opened up.
"Obviously the favorite was to my side, and we were a little bit tight early on at the start of the straight, and when he got a bit of daylight he came to beat me, but to be fair to my horse he stuck it out," he said. "He is a very straightforward horse."
Meanwhile, jockey Alexis Badel has quickly put a lean spell behind him. The Frenchman went into Sunday's meeting at Happy Valley on a run of 47 rides without a winner. A double on Wednesday means he has now won three races from his past 13 rides, taking him to seven wins for the season.
Badel led all the way on Viva Firecracker in the Class 4 East Point Handicap (1,650m) and held off Amazing Award by a neck. The win gave Tony Cruz a double after Comet Radiance took the opening race under Angus Chung Yik-lai.
"He got away with some very slow sections," Cruz said. "Alexis rode a perfect race. The time was slow, but he rode a perfect race. That's what I wanted."
Alexis Badel led all the way on Viva Firecracker, first left, in the Class 4 East Point Handicap (1,650m) to put a lean spell behind him.
Viva Firecracker sweated up heavily before the race, but Cruz was not concerned.
"Yeah, but I don't worry about that. If he can win the race, I don't care about his sweating," he said.
Badel's second winner came on Target Audience for Caspar Fownes in the Class 3 Causeway Bay Handicap (1,200m).
Zac Purton marked a triumphant return from suspension by landing a treble, sparked by an early breakthrough aboard Brownneedsfurther.
Purton made the most of his return from suspension by riding a treble. He won on Brownneedsfurther for David Hall, Storming Dragon for Jamie Richards and California Blitz for Cody Mo Wai-kit in the last, moving to 29 wins for the season.
