South African trainer Tony Millard notched up his 600th Hong Kong winner at Sha Tin racecourse at the weekend.
After waiting for more than a month between winners, Millard was not on course for his milestone, having taken a Christmas holiday.
Millard’s four-year-old charge Pearl Champion started as the favourite and defied being forced to race wide for most the trip in the Class 4 Chun Shek Handicap over 1400m.
In-form Silvestre de Sousa – recently crowned Britain’s champion jockey and currently riding on a short-term licence in Hong Kong – remained calm throughout and eased the son of Rip Van Winkle to the front to eventually win by two lengths.
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