Entrenched in Hong Kong racing history as a record-breaking jockey, Douglas Whyte reached the 200-win milestone as a trainer at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (24 April) with Majestic Knight’s victory in the Class 2 Korea Racing Authority Trophy Handicap (1000m).
Ridden by Hugh Bowman, Majestic Knight (126lb) comfortably accounted for Harmony N Blessed (119lb) and Nervous Witness (134lb) to add further lustre to Whyte’s phenomenal Hong Kong portfolio.
Whyte holds the record for the most wins by a jockey – 1,813 – after stringing together 13 successive Hong Kong jockeys’ championships and now, having added 200 as a trainer – trails only Tony Cruz for the most victories in Hong Kong.
Cruz rode 946 winners in a glittering career in the saddle and has since accumulated 1,502 as a trainer for a total of 2,448 to be 435 ahead of Whyte’s combined 2,013.
“There’s a lot of trainers that have achieved a lot more than me, so I’m at the bottom at the moment and stepping my way up. It’s a nice achievement to accomplish and I’ve got a long way to go,” Whyte, 52, said.
“He (Majestic Knight) has been a very honest horse, a well-placed horse, he’s crept up in the ratings. He’s just improved incrementally and got better and better,” Whyte said. “Hugh made the effort to go over to Conghua and trial him – it was probably the icing on the cake when Hugh went over there to trial the horse.
“He (Majestic Knight) is a horse that gives you a lot and he needs a bit of a freshen up between runs, but this race as planned a long time ago and he’s delivered.”
Incredible stuff, @DJWhyteTrainer! 🍾
That's 2⃣0⃣0⃣ training victories in Hong Kong, adding to the 1,813 winners he rode in the city as Majestic Knight takes the Korea Racing Authority Trophy under @HugeBowman… 👌#HappyWednesday | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/tQ96xn6nrm
— HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) April 24, 2024
Pierre Ng consolidated his lead atop the Hong Kong trainers’ championship with a timely double to stretch his lead to seven over Francis Lui – 57 to 50.
The second-season handler scored with Beauty Waves, who posted a second straight course and distance win in the Class 3 Jeju Handicap (1000m) under Zac Purton before Andrea Atzeni guided I Can to victory in the Class 4 Incheon Handicap (1650m).
Beauty Waves gets there! 💪 The favourite goes back-to-back under a strong @zpurton ride for Pierre Ng at the Valley… #HappyWednesday | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/N66cmEBqEg
— HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) April 24, 2024
“He (Beauty Waves) was tough. It was a great performance from three-wide all the way with top weight. Hopefully he can improve a little bit more and find one or two more wins for us,” Ng said.
Purton secured a double when High Percentage triumphed in the first section of the Class 4 Busan Handicap (1200m) for Benno Yung, after Michael Chang slotted his 11th winner of the season when Amazing Boy clinched the Class 5 Hallasan Handicap (1800m) under Matthew Chadwick.
“Class 5, good draw (barrier two) and a good run,” Chang said. “I thought he would run well.”
Harry Bentley was to the fore with a brace after the Englishman, in the midst of his most productive Hong Kong season, scored with Ricky Yiu’s Sweet Diamond, who dictated from the front to score in the Class 5 Yeongcheon Handicap (1200m), before Our Lucky Glory prevailed in the second section of the Class 4 Busan Handicap (1200m) for Chris So.
Ellis Wong triumphed on Me Tsui’s Sergeant Pepper in the Class 4 Daegu Handicap (1000m) before Frankie Lor’s Flamingo Trillion closed the card with a tenacious win in the Class 3 Seoul Handicap (1800m) under Derek Leung’s strong riding.
Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Sunday (28 April) with FWD Champions Day and the running of the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m), G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) and G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m).
