The aptly named Let Us Win finally had the prayer his name invokes answered at Sha Tin today when a photo finish winner of the Maria Galland Handicap under the urgings of returning jockey Silvestre de Sousa.
Hong Kong racing fans are well acquainted with the magic of Brazilian jockeys and perhaps today there was an element of that, combined with sheer strength and resolve, which saw de Sousa win on a horse which not even his countryman Joao Moreira had been able to cajole to victory.
The six-year-old gelding had failed to win in his previous 30 starts and, last start, his connections had endured the ultimate disappointment of losing a race on protest after the horse had finally crossed the line first.
De Sousa, riding for the first time in his current four months contract, was delighted to break through early. “He took some riding but it’s good times. It’s very good to get a winner early,” said the three times UK champion jockey whose win came in race four.
Let Us Win responded to de Sousa’s hard riding from a midfield spot at the 400 metres to win officially by a short head. De Sousa had ridden 33 winners in Hong Kong in two previous, albeit brief, riding stints in season 2015-16 and 2016-17.
