Brett Prebble threw off what he described as a 'fairly quiet trot' to rack up a treble and continued to grow his successful partnership with trainer Dennis Yip Chor-hong.
Prebble took himself past 50 wins for the season and Yip had a treble, too, giving apprentice Derek Leung Ka-chun an important milestone with Cash Money before he and Prebble landed Glenealy Elite and Sunrise.
'Things have been a bit lean lately for me so it's been great to have a fat one on an important day like this. Dennis and I have a good, bonding relationship and each of us knows how the other thinks now,' Prebble said of Yip.
'He has his say, I have mine and we work it out. We nut out a plan the day before a meeting so that we both go to the races knowing how we expect everything to play out and that way, if it doesn't come off, nobody walks away more disappointed than they should be.
'From my point of view that's important because I can keep the ride and one of the hardest parts about racing here is keeping your rides when something hasn't worked out and you've been beaten.
'Dennis has loyal owners, he's a loyal guy and that's why we work so well together.'
One horse for whom Prebble is taking a little credit is Glenealy Elite, who was resuming from a break in winning race six and the Australian jockey has been his constant companion.
'I think I've been able to teach this horse a lot,' Prebble said. 'He used to be quite erratic in his races but now he has become quite an enjoyable ride,' he said.
'When I pressed the button today he kicked really well. I think he does appreciate being a bit fresh like this and he appreciated the going. In time, he might be a horse who does better at Happy Valley than Sha Tin because I reckon that surface there will suit him, and so will the fast pace you get there.'
The third win for Yip was well expected, with Sunrise supported down to warm favouritism before taking the ninth, but Prebble wasn't altogether satisfied by the neck margin he had to spare at the finish.
'I like the horse, he's got a good character,' said Prebble, who was won his last two on the lightly raced four-year-old, all at 1,400m.
'But that was only workmanlike today, which surprised me because I expected him to win quite easily. It might be that he wants a step up to the mile now. He was just a bit flat-footed.'
Yip's win with Cash Money first-up from a bleeding attack gave Leung his 20th career win, a milestone that will see him lose three pounds of his 10-pound apprentice's allowance starting from the next meeting on Friday at Sha Tin. Cash Money began quickly for Leung, took up the lead early and never surrendered his position.
