There are a few things one can take away from the two wins of Luke Currie for Trainer John Size at Shatin on Wednesday.
Frankly speaking, it was a kinda weird card comprising eight races on the all-weather track with one race on the turf and a meeting where not one favourite saluted. Most of our friends who saw the race card when it came out decided immediately that they had better things to do with their evening. Like maybe trying out a Sri Lankan restaurant in Melbourne- and, apparently, the best?
Even trainers were uncertain how their runners would take to racing on the great unknown of a dirt track. Asking them if they liked anything would have been a waste of time. A few can be such drama queens.
Zac Purton, and Joao Moreira drew blanks despite a few of their rides being in the money. Karis Teetan rode a double- both for Trainer Tony Cruz- which wasn’t altogether unexpected.
Firstly, the Mauritian Magician is Mr Consistency whereas he seems to have conquered the quirks of the different all-weather tracks. Either that or it just doesn’t matter to him. Of course, by now, it’s no surprise to see him come storming down the outside like Batman with wings and win going away whereas on Wednesday night, riding Berlin Tango for powerful owner Martin Siu, he glided along the inside like MJ doing the Moonwalk and must have surprised quite a few others in the race.
This is also what made the double by Luke Currie special. It was a pleasant surprise and very much unexpected. Unlike the big three in Hong Kong racing- Purton, Moreira and Teetan- the Australian rider is still learning about the idiocincrasies of the Shatin and Happy Valley tracks and how the game is played in Hong Kong. A track work accident had sidelined the experienced Currie, and he had only recently returned to race riding. With most owners and trainers still to be sold on Luke Currie despite the jockey having won his first race in Hong Kong with his first ride, the opportunities that have come his way have pretty much been no-hopers. He deserved more, especially after that first winner. But Hong Kong racing can be a slippery fish at the best of times...
One of his better chances recently was the Caspar Fownes trained Storm Legend. Though going off at 30s, Luke Currie gave his ride every chance. The galloper came fourth, and was unlucky not to come third. To those who saw this ride knew that Currie was ready to deliver a winner in a hurry.
Did we know that he would ride those two winners for John Size? Are you kidding? We didn’t know their names and didn’t even know they were running. Plus we didn’t have any financial interest in the race meeting and where we are is two hours ahead of Hong Kong. Though knackered by the time we returned to home base and into bed, we did enjoy watching Luke Currie ride those two winners as he’s a very good jockey and good things come to those who wait. Just ask Lyle Hewitson who’s ridden seven winners in three race meetings and the comeback of the always very good Matthew Chadwick. It’s almost like the big guy upstairs knows something we don’t... Those two wins, Blake Shinn winning with his first ride this season for Tony Cruz and the double from the Mauritian Batman showed the cyclical ebbs and flows of Hong Kong racing where nothing can be taken for granted- not even that racing Michael Bublé.
There’s a more level playing field taking place- and this is happening organically. The conspiracy theorists will babble on about this and that and choreographed results without understanding nor seeing the changing of the guard. Even Hong Kong might- might- be returning to some form of normalcy after three years of political turmoil and an ongoing pandemic. Fingers and everything else crossed that the worst is over.
In the meantime, well done, Luke Currie. Those two wins spiced up an otherwise unappetising race meeting.
We never even made it to the supposedly best Sri Lankan restaurant in Melbourne. But the chicken satay at the Crown Metropol is excellent. Possibly the best in the world.
Just saying...
#lukecurrie #HKracing
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