Brazilian rider Fausto Henrique took riding honors with a winning double on Friday nights sand program to take him to 12 winners for the current season.

Henrique who was being hailed as a premiership hope for this season after kicking home 14 winners last year when he arrived for the latter part of the season, was also late starter this season due to a suspension. However it’s been a somewhat steady start to the new racing year with the talented rider even going without a winner in the month of February; March has seen better results with Friday’s double giving him four winners for the month with still race two days left.

Horsenumberone was the first of Henrique’s winners when the son of All Too Hard (Aus) showed great speed in his Macau debut to run away with the first of the night the 0-55 3 & 4YO Handicap over 1200 metres on the turf.  The four year old easily defeated Tremendous Wins (Peter Ho by four and half lengths, with the $1.5 favorite Still So Cute (Ruan Maia) a struggling third.

Horsenumberone who is prepared in Macau by Danny Wong, had only been very lightly raced in Australia with two starts in Victoria when racing as Way Too Hard when prepared by Robbie Laing.  Following a barrier trial win on a heavy track at Cranbourne, the gelding ran a creditable fourth at Cranbourne on a soft track at his first start, than a nice second at Pakenham on the synthetic followed. The gelding was then exported to Macau where if Friday nights victory is any indication, will have no trouble at all in paying his way.

Roaring Fans from the Stanley Chin yard was the second of Henrique’s winners when he also led throughout to win the Class 4 & 5 over 1050 metres on the sand.

The three year old showed plenty of fight to hold off Tak Fai Of Pins (Luis Corrales), with Lucky Pearl (Martin Wepner) in third.

The win also gave Stanley Chin a double for the night having previously scored with Royal Garden in the Class 2 over 1500 metres (turf) with Luis Corrales on top.  Royal Garden came with a sweeping run down the outside of the track to beat Chromium Alloy (Horace Lam), with Golden Fans (Wayne Smith) in third.

Stanley Chin’s double took him to 20 winners for the season and into equal fourth spot with the joint operation of Tommy Tse and Louis Ho. Three trainers Sio Cheong, Alan Tam and Tony Fung are all sitting at the top of the ladder with 23 winners in what is turning into an intriguing battle for supremacy.

Niubi Emperor is no champion but the giant gelding gets full marks for consistency on the sand after his win in the last of the night on Friday the Class 3 & 4 over 1050 metres.

Ridden by Eric Cheung and prepared by Sio Cheong, Niubi Emperor overcame his wide run in transit to hit the line strongly to beat Stars Partner (Peter Ho), with race favorite Danny Choice (Luis Corrales) in third.

Niubi Emperor, who stands well over 16 hands and tipped the scales at 1245 pounds for Friday’s race, has only raced five times on the all weather for two wins and three second placed efforts.

The win continued the good run of success for seven pound claimer Eric Cheung in recent weeks and takes him to 14 winners for the season.