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Fledgling Macau trainer Ricky Choi led in his first double at Taipa on Friday night with Nanhai One and Smart Win to give him a total of three winners to date.

Australian import Nanhai One kicked off Choi’s night when he found the line strongly under Peter Ho to win the first on Friday night the Class 3 & 4 over 1800 metres on the turf. Nanhai One was formerly trained at Randwick by Mark Newnham where he raced as Kung Fu Master, placing at Kembla Grange and Gosford from his four runs there. The son of Fastnet Rock (Aus) has been consistent since arriving in Macau and from his eight starts to date has been in the money on five occasions.

Later in the night Smart Win in the hands of Brazilian jockey Fausto Henrique, gave Choi his double when he led throughout to win the Class 2 & 3 over 1350 metres on the sand. Smart Win is another Australia import that originated from West Australia where he raced as Nightwatchman when prepared by Daniel Morton.

From his 20 starts in West Australia the gelding won twice at Belmont and placed on four more occasions earning A $113,000 in prize money. The five year old had turned in a cracking run a fortnight back when he went within a nose of winning the Group 1 Chairman’s Challenge Cup in a head bobbing finish that went the way of Mister Kaopu.

Ricky Choi is a former Hong Kong apprentice who was Champion of his year in the 1991/1992 racing season. Moving to Macau in the 2000/2001 season Choi rode with success for a number of years before hanging up his saddle 2011, starting out as Supervisor for trainer Geoff Allendorf. Promoted to Assistant Trainer for Allendorf in 2014 Choi was licensed in his own right at the beginning of the current season.

Choi had his first runner on October 27 and in what a frustrating was run of placings, had to wait until January 25 for his first winner Gunstigmaster who won on the all weather under Ruan Maia. After the weekend Choi’s record read’s three winners, five seconds and four thirds from only 30 runners to date.

An impressive winner at Saturdays turf meeting was the K H Leong prepared Fortune Treasure who raced away with the last of the day the Class 2 & 3 over 1200 metres.

Ridden by Filipino horseman Breinell Yamzon, Fortune Treasure was inclined to over race away from the gates but then relaxed to park off the leader Wonder Holy. Once in the straight the son of Dalakhani (Ire) raced away for a good win beating Luen On Treasure (Luis Corrales), with Wonder Holy (Shogo Nakano)clinging onto third

Fortune Treasure came to Macau with decent form from Victoria when prepared by Mick Price. An impressive three and a quarter lengths winner in a Sale Maiden when racing as Smoke Signal, the grey/ black gelding acquitted himself well in good Saturday company at Flemington behind the well performed Al Passem.

The win on Fortune Treasure capped off a good weekend for Breinell Yamzon with the young rider having been successful on the Victor Chan trained Emperor King in the Class 2 & 3 over 1050 metres on Friday night.

Geoff Allendorf’s Highspot doesn’t win out of turn but deserves full marks for consistency. On Saturday the seven year sprouted wings under Kevin Leung to power home late to win the Class 6 over 1500 metres.

It was only Highspot’s second race win to date, but the son of Manhatten Rain (Aus) has racked up nine second placed efforts and eight thirds from his 49 starts and after Saturday has picked up close to $1 million Hong Kong dollars in prize money along the way.

The win was a welcome change of luck for jockey Kevin Leung who gave the gelding a nice ride after striking trouble early. After being shuffled well back Highspot only had a couple of runners behind him at the top of the straight and was giving the leaders at least eight lengths at the two fifty mark, but once into clear running out wide the gelding put in giant strides to get up and score by three quarters of a lengths on the line from Special Steel (Wayne Smith), with Full Of Luck (Ruan Maia) in third.