A winning treble on Saturday sees Brazilian rider Ruan Maia with a massive 22 win advantage over his nearest rival Luis Corrales (68 to 46) as he races away with his second Macau Jockeys’ Championship.

With six race days remaining for the season Maia is already 8 wins ahead of his tally of 60 for last season, with his strike rate figures stacking up at a 21% win rate and a 52% place rate slightly up on last year’s score.

Of the local riders Peter Ho is currently in third spot on 42 wins and has the next best strike rate of a 17% win and a 46% place percentage.

Maia’s day got off to a quick start with a win on the very promising Wittymaster in race two the 0 to 55 rated contest over 1200 metres. Wittymaster a four year old son the Australian Group 1 sprinter Duporth made it two wins from four starts in Macau, and is destined for better things given the manner of his two victories.

On a track that was rated heavy due to a typhoon hitting the enclave midweek, Wittymaster showed good speed from gate nine to cross and find himself box seated behind the speedy Chapman Way (Luis Corrales). Once in the straight the gelding dug in stoutly and raced to the line with almost two lengths to spare over Chapman Way, with Lucky Pearl (J B Hamel) running on well for third.

Prior to coming to Macau Wittymaster certainly had been a much traveled horse. A $50,000 Aud purchase at the 2017 Melbourne Premier sale, the youngster trialled at Warwick Farm for a moderate fifth out of six runners over 810 metres when prepared by Wendy Roche. The gelding was then picked up for A$70,000 at the Inglis October 2017 Ready 2 Race Sales and then shipped to New Zealand under the Magus Equine banner; however he never even got the trials there no doubt due to some problems. After 12 months in New Zealand the then three year old arrived in Macau and was placed in the care of trainer Danny Wong.

Maia was next seen to advantage on the Irish import Brilliant Debbie who produced a dazzling late finish to win the Class 2 Over 1500 metres. In a great four horse finish Brilliant Debbie who had come from the tail of the field weaved between runners to win by a head from River Control (Kevin Leung), with a half length back to the dead heaters Farson (Shogo Nakano) and Pearl Win Win (Stephane Ladjadj).

One Belt One Road from the Sio Cheong stable completed Maia’s afternoon when he proved too strong for his opponents in the Class 3 & 4 over 1200 metres.

Maia has done a magnificent job since arriving in the enclave in December 2016. After taking 19 rides to land his first winner on God Get People for trainer Stanley Chin; Maia did a superb job to end his first season on 31 wins and in fourth spot in the Jockeys’ Premiership on 31 wins, with Peter Ho Champion of the year on 52 victories.

Since then it’s been onward and upwards for the hardworking lightweight who with his partner Erica Calheiros have fallen in love with the former Portuguese colony.

Luen On Success became the first progeny of the great Japanese sprinter Lord Kanaloa to win in Macau with a rails hugging ride from another Brazilian rider in Fausto Henrique in the Class 5 & 6 over 1200 metres on Saturday.

Prepared by Geoff Allendorf Luen On Success is out of the Jungle Pocket mare Red Herencia and was purchased as a two year old in Japan. Arriving in Macau in October last as a three year old, the colt caught the eye on debut producing a big finish albeit racing very greenly, to come from the tail of the field to finish fourth beaten three quarters of a length back in April.

A couple of disappointing efforts followed with him being slowly away and not focused on racing however he again caught the eye with a good fourth behind Gem Glory over 1200 on July 12.

“He’s just taken awhile to learn what the games all about.” Geoff Allendorf said after Saturday’s win.

“He was getting lost and racing greenly and today with a good draw in gate two I told Henrique not to leave the fence. He done a great job and kept him balanced up and saved ground, and the horse will learn a lot from that.”

“I’ll spell him now for six to eight weeks and then we’ll take our time with him. I’m sure he will strengthen up into a nice horse.”

Allendorf nowadays only prepares a smaller team of 20 horses and in fact has only had 112 runners for the season, his lowest number of runners ever. That said he has still managed 15 winners and 30 placed efforts giving him the best place strike of any trainer in the enclave at 40%.