Joe Moreira’s domination of the first half of Sunday's card was reminiscent of the day, last March, when the “Magic Man” set a Hong Kong record of eight wins in a day.

That benchmark was not threatened, as it transpired. Moreira’s streak ended at the mid-point: he drew five blanks in the back half.

The Chris So-trained debutant Top Beautiful gave the Brazilian an easy win in the opener and the Michael Chang-trained Je Pense closed from deep to claim the second. After Seasons Bloom’s performance, Moreira steered another first starter to a cosy success in the fourth – the Shum-trained Household King, top lot at the March 2017 Hong Kong International Sale.



The first race of the season goes to Chris So’s Top Beautiful, ridden by Joao Moreira, picture Hong Kong Jockey Club

Race five brought the turn of the 32-race maiden Yourthewonforme, a first runner and first winner for new trainer Frankie Lor, John Size’s former assistant. Moreira switched out from a midfield rail berth in the Class 5 Tim Mei Handicap (1200m), and conjured a grinding, momentum-building stretch run to victory.

“I’m very pleased with this start but I’m still looking for more winners,” said Lor, for whom Yourthewonforme was a sole runner on the day. “I have 55 horses in the stable now, so I have a lot of thanks for the owners for giving me such good support. That has given me some confidence, but also I have confidence in my team – they have worked very hard in the off-season.

“I saw last season that this horse ran second a few times at 1400 (metres) so this time I put him at 1200 (metres) to see if he could handle it, being a little bit fresh. Half-way down the straight, I still wasn’t sure, but Joao got the momentum going. I think he will be better back at 1400.”

So, meanwhile, was delighted with Top Beautiful’s four-length triumph in the season’s first race, the straight-track Class 4 Harcourt Handicap (1000m).

“He’s got a lot of potential,” the trainer said of the Nicconi four-year-old. “He showed us that last year when he arrived and we’ve done a lot of work with him since then. He still had his fitness from that work last season so we haven’t had to do too much with him; we didn’t have to push him to get him fit enough for today.

“He has a good character, his trial at the pre-season Owners’ Carnival was good and I like the way that when he’s asked to give, he gives. I think he’s a good horse and maybe he can progress further, we’ll see.

“Everybody wants to be the one to get that first win of the season but you need some luck for it to happen – I had the luck and the horse,” So added.

Tommy Berry clicked a win to kick off his new role as retained rider to the John Moore stable. The Australian hoop delivered Moore’s Hair Trigger late in the run to claim race seven, the Class 3 Cotton Tree Handicap (1000m).

Trainer Me Tsui and jockey Umberto Rispoli landed the eighth, the Class 2 Albert Handicap (1400m), with Mongolian King. The Peter Ho-trained Fifty Fifty took the penultimate prize, the Class 3 Drake Handicap (1200m), under Karis Teetan, and the finale, the Class 3 Garden Road Handicap (1400m), went to the Richard Gibson-trained Rattan under Chad Schofield.