Avdulla breaks through for first Hong Kong win
Brenton Avdulla posted his first Hong Kong win on the 50th start of his 11-week contract and fittingly, the Australian jockey’s breakthrough victory came aboard slow starter Go Go Sixteen in yesterday’s Class Four Ma Liu Shui Handicap (1,600m) at Sha Tin.
Go Go Sixteen fell out of the gates in the opening event of Hong Kong’s first twilight meeting in 20 years.
However, Manfred Man Ka-leung’s five-year-old galloper responded to Avdulla’s urgings throughout the mile race, eventually charging up the inside to beat Darci Joy by a short head in a thrilling finish.
Avdulla, whose six pre-win minor placings included a first-start third on Loriz at Happy Valley on May 3, never let his morale drop despite experiencing one of the worst droughts of a 16-year career in which he has recorded 13 Group One victories in Australia.
“I haven’t been too disheartened. I came here with really no expectations. A number of riders have come here with, probably, better credentials than me in the past and struggled,” Avdulla said.
“I spoke to Hughie [Bowman], and he said it took him six weeks to get a winner [in 2014], and you can see where he is now.
“Blokes like Brett Prebble – he’s a world-class rider, and it took him a long time. He won a Group One towards the end of his first stint. I’m proud to get my first win on the board. Hong Kong is a very tough jurisdiction. I’m very thankful to Manfred for the opportunity.
“Going through his replays, he won with Blake [Shinn] on him in a similar sort of manner. We were trying to be closer, but he showed no speed. Coming back to the mile, he was always going to be rock-hard fit. He such a big, gross horse, but to his credit, he knuckled down, took the runs when they were there, and stuck his head out at the right time.”
Avdulla’s Jockey Club licence expires at the end of the current campaign, but the 32-year-old is open to becoming a full-time member of Hong Kong’s riding roster if his wife and children enjoy the city.
“Everyone wants that win – they don’t want to go home with nothing. It’s a short stint, but I haven’t come here thinking I’m going straight back to Australia. As long as the family settles in well, there’s no reason I won’t apply next season,” Avdulla said.
“I’ve had a lot of horses out of the market. I haven’t had much opportunity on good chances, but hopefully, this can generate something.”
Later on the card, Lyle Hewitson rode the second Hong Kong treble of his career courtesy of victories aboard Colourful
Prince, Sweet Briar and Golden Empire. Not one of Hewitson’s winners was in the market, so the South African rider’s equal-best day in Hong Kong rewarded all-up punters with a $4,010 dividend.
“It’s fantastic. Things have picked up recently again to how we would like them. It’s been a little while between trebles, so it’s nice to get one again,” said Hewitson, who has ridden 43 winners this term.
“I thought I’d be very competitive. Everything worked really well. I had luck in some of the races – to keep having winners, you do need luck – and it fell my way. I’m very grateful and very happy.”
Frankie Lor Fu-chuen was the other treble scorer as he closed the gap on his former boss, John Size, at the top of the trainers’ championship.
Flamingo Trillion, Youthful Deal and A Pal won for Lor, who trails Size 58-66 in the title race with a dozen meetings of the season remaining.
Zac Purton, Derek Leung Ka-chun, Francis Lui Kin-wai and Man registered doubles across the 10-race programme.
Betting turnover on the twilight meeting was down 5.72 per cent on the corresponding day fixture 12 months ago, with the Yasuda Kinen simulcast from Japan – which started an hour and 20 minutes before the first race at Sha Tin rather than being run during the Hong Kong card – attracting its lowest turnover since 2015.