Macau Derby runner up Éclair Lightning scored a much deserved win in Sunday‘s Class 2 for trainer Peter Leyshan and the Eclair Syndicate, when he proved too classy for his rivals over the 1800 metre course.

The magnificent looking son of Darci Brahma (NZ) had earned the tag as Macau’s unluckiest horse last season when he was a certainty beaten on at least three occasions, with two of those races being Group 1 and a Group 3 contests.

“Yes he really deserved that win and it will be a huge confidence booster to the horse.” Leyshan said after the win.”

“To say he has been an unlucky horse would be an understatement. Nothing really went right for him for most of the season and then we had to chase home Sacred Capital in the Derby.”

“With luck and any other year we would have been hailing him as a champ.”

Leyshan admitted that he gave Ruan Maia very little in the way of instructions in Sunday’s race.

“Well it was a case of you are on the best horse in the race and a good draw, so just keep him out of trouble. It was the best ride the horse has had since he won back in January. (Ruan) Maia had him box seated and he got into the clear right when he needed to.”

In fact the luckless streak for Éclair Lightning began way back in March when at his third start in the enclave the MJC Anniversary Cup, the gelding was lucky to stay on his feet at the first corner after copping severe interference losing at least four lengths. Jockey Shogo Nakano did a fine job in the aftermath and Éclair Lightning flashed home late to finish second behind the subsequent Derby winner Sacred Capital only beaten two and a quarter lengths.

Next up was the Group 3 Macau Derby Trial where he was simply a tragedy beaten when after a great run in transit under Nakano from gate two, the big bay ran into a brick wall and was under restraint for most of the run down the Taipa straight to wind up in third spot, beaten one and three quarters of a lengths behind Big Alloy.

In the Group 1 Macau Guineas Éclair Lightning did a mighty job from barrier 12 after racing three and four deep the circuit to end up fourth beaten one and a quarter lengths behind Bring Me Speed. Then another nightmare run followed when a split second decision by Nakano seen Éclair Lightning run into a traffic jam the resulted him going to the line untested in ninth spot behind Royal Garden.

Nowadays Peter Leyshan like many of us that have aged is starting to get a little thin on top, and it was fair to say after the run of bad luck the horse had encountered, Leyshan was tearing out what remaining hair he had coming into the Derby.

With a new rider on top in the Derby Champion Jockey Ruan Maia, Éclair Lightning whilst not getting a perfect time of it in the race, enjoyed far better luck to run Sacred Capital to one and three quarters of a length in finishing second. A super effort when you consider that Sacred Capital has gone on to run a mighty race in the Group 3 Sa Sa Ladies Purse at Sha Tin on November 3rd only beaten two lengths behind Southern Legend.

Leyshan will now aim Éclair Lighting for Group 2 Winter Trophy over 1800 metres on January 12, with his lead up race the 70 plus rated Handicap over 1500 metres on December 28.

Geoff Allendorf has two exciting newcomers in Colonel Mordaunt and Draft Camp who again provided him with the quinella in Sundays 2nd Division of the Class 4 Over 1200 metres.

In what was a carbon copy of their first start in Macau Colonel Mordaunt under Fausto Henrique held on to win by a neck from Draft Camp (J B Hamel), with the dead heaters Blackjack Mok (Dayversom Barros) and Roaring Fans (Eric Cheung) in third.

On Sunday both horses were drawn out in car park in gates 12 and 13 and after working in the early stages Henrique managed to slot Colonel Mordaunt into a one out one back position. Draft Camp and Hamel didn’t fair quiet as well with gelding getting a decent knock at the eight hundred corner from the erratic Ying’s Fan’s that was on one rein and hanging off the track.

Once heads were turned for home Colonel Mordaunt quickened nicely and surged after the leaders with Draft Camp coming after the lot of them; at the line though Colonel Mordaunt had enough in hand to hold off the late charge of his stablemate.

“They are both very nice horses that both have a lot of upside. They both had awful barriers but still were very strong on the line.”

“The many connections that are in both horses were wrapped in getting the quinella again.” Allendorf said.

In fact Allendorf has a fine bunch of newcomers in his yard and looks destined to have another good season. Early in the afternoon his other bright young hopeful the three year old Luen On Steed powered home under Oscar Chavez to run second to the smart Gem Glory on the 1st Division of the Class 4 in identical time of 1.09.8.

“Yes he is another nice horse that’s got lots of improvement in him. He had absolutely no luck in the run today after striking some trouble but was jumping out of the ground late.”

“I’ve got a lot of nice new horses and some very good patient owners and they are happy that’s the main thing.” Allendorf added.

No man was happier on Sunday then the young South African rider Tshwaro Appie who after 48 rides in the enclave kicked home his first winner on Golden Toruk in the Class 3 & 4 over 1500 metres for the combined stable of Tommy Tse and Louis Ho.

Appie has come close with four second placed efforts and four thirds but it’s been a frustrating time for him, and to add to that he spent July and August on the sidelines after a fall at trackwork.

“Yes I really needed that it’s been a long time coming.” A delighted Appie said after the win.

The ride on Golden Toruk was a lucky late pickup mount for Appie with Cliffy Lai becoming indisposed earlier in the day.

Golden Toruk was formerly trained by Mick Price in Victoria where he raced as Toruk. The son of Not A Single Doubt.(Aus) bolted in a Maiden at Donald and placed at Wodonga in his four runs in Australia before being exported to Macau.