Pearl Green continued his dominance of Macau’s feature races with another sterling win in Sunday’s SJM Charity Trophy (Class 1) over 1500 metres on the turf.

Ridden by Panamanian rider Oscar Chavez, Pearl Green enjoyed the run of the race on the fence in fourth spot before darting through on the inside of Obrigado Mais at the two hundred, to power home for a strong win over Luen On Dance Kid (Ruan Maia), with Royal Garden (Tshwaro Appie) running on well from the back for third.

Prepared by three times Champion trainer K H Leong, Pearl Green was having his first run since tackling the Hong Kong –Macau Trophy over 1400 metres at Sha Tin on May 11 where he ran a creditable fourth behind John Moore’s Good Standing. Prior to that the five year old destroyed his rivals with an easy win in the Group 2 Directors Cup at Taipa over 1500 metres.

Both the first and second horse in Sundays Trophy have been bargain buys for their respective owners after disappointing as two years olds in Australia. Pearl Green was originally a A$460,000 purchase at the 2015 Gold Coast Magic Millions Sales for Gai Waterhouse. Two mediocre barrier trials at Randwick then seen the colt gelded and put on the market, he was then snapped up by K H Leong for A$55,000 for his owner Mr. Chan Ming Wing. After Sundays win Pearl Greens record now reads 10 – 5 – 3 with only two unplaced runs in Macau and close to $4.25 Million HKD.

Luen On Dance Kid was originally purchased by the China Horse Racing Club at the 2016 Karaka Yearling Sales and trailed on four occasions in Australia under the Aquis Farm banner, for a win in a two year old trial at Newcastle. The gelding was then put through the 2017 Melbourne March Tried Horse sale where he was picked up by Geoff Allendorf for his long serving owner Thomas Lau for the modest sum of A$14,000. Luen On Dance Kid who is still only a four year old has stats of 6 – 3 – 3 and four unplaced runs and $1.5 Million HKD in prize money.

Oscar Chavez and Wayne Smith shared riding honors on Sundays 11 race card with a treble each with Chavez winning the Class 1 on Pearl Green and Smith winning the other main feature race the Listed Lisboa Challenge for the two and three year olds over 1200 metres on Tagmaster for trainer Victor Chan.

Wayne Smith in fact rode four winner s over the weekend as he won the sole race held on Friday nights program the Class 5 & 6 over 1350 metres on Victory Achiever for Stanley Chin. Unfortunately just prior to race two getting underway the lighting system around the track malfunctioned leaving half the course in darkness with no other option but to cancel the remaining five races and transfer them over to Sunday’s program.

Wayne Smith was successful on Stadium in the Class 2 over 1050 metres (sand) for the combined yard of Tommy Tse and Louis Ho, then he booted Simply Impeccable home for the training partnership in the next the Class 2 & 3 over 1350 metres. Tse and Ho also picked up a third winner on Sunday with Collateral Mission who scored under seven pound apprentice Eric Cheung in the Class 2 & 3 (1st division) over 1350 metres.

Chavez was in superb form with wins on the Geoff Allendorf prepared Me Whee in the Class 3 & 4 over 1050 metres, and then came with a wet sail on the Victor Chan trained Bring Me Glory to win the Macau Golden Group Charity Trophy over 1800 metres, giving trainer Victor Chan the first leg of his double.