David Hall challenges racing superstitions and comes up trumps with a double
Not even an old racing superstition could stop the winning run of David Hall as a race-to-race double with Penang Hall and Classic Jewellery continued his rich vein of form.
It might have been the day for the ladies to dress up, but Hall looked resplendent in a brand new blue suit - challenging the old adage that wearing new clothing to the races is bad luck.
The brace of wins gave Hall nine for the season so far and a place in the top third on the trainers' championship with 17 meetings gone.
Penang Hall's first-up win with top weight in a competitive Class Four up the straight appeared more workmanlike than flashy, but the trainer was taking plenty of positives from it.
"I thought it was a pretty good win carrying a big weight and he was off the bit chasing a long way out," Hall said after the second of jockey Joao Moreira's three wins. "He was also out in the middle of the track, and copped some interference at the start, so even though there wasn't much of a margin in it, everything was against him and he still got the job done."
Both of Penang Hall's victories have been up the straight but Hall has always had his eyes on getting the gelding over further.
Penang Hall was entered for a 1,200m race at the end of last season after his maiden win but persistent hoof issues caused the gelding to be withdrawn with lameness: "He has had feet problems all along and the farriers have done a great job managing that. This season, it has been under control and while we got away with that one over 1,000m today, we will stretch him over further next time."
Hall's penchant for getting the most out of transfers seemed to continue with Classic Jewellery, who came via master handler John Size at the start of last season - but the trainer wasn't as confident of staging a Bamboo Dance-like turnaround with the troublesome seven-year-old.
"He probably has more talent than most horses with his rating (52) but he is hard work - he doesn't handle Hong Kong life at all well," Hall said.
"He was tired and he was hard work when he arrived with me - he has been a very difficult horse to work with."
Classic Jewellery gave Douglas Whyte the first leg of a double, with Secret Weapon winning in the last to go back-to-back for trainer Dennis Yip Chor-hong.
Whyte rode Classic Jewellery in 12 of the horse's first 13 starts and credited Hall with having the gelding in top order.
"He actually feels physically stronger than he ever has before," Whyte said. "He pinged, put himself in race and showed great determination in the finish."
