Neil Callan has had to grind out the winners this season and when top-weight Jolly Convergence took the Class 4 San Po Kong Handicap (1200m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night it ended a run of 75 outs for the “Iron Man”.
Callan’s previous success had come on the same Richard Gibson-trained galloper. That was back on 13 March.
“Long time between drinks!” the Irishman said.
He didn’t have to wait long to sup again though – after Loving A Boom’s near miss behind Prance Dragon, and another runner-up finish on Last Kingdom in the sixth, Callan nailed a double on the Caspar Fownes-trained Perfect Glory in race seven, section one of the Class 3 Cheung Sha Wan Handicap (1200m).
“If you look at that long stretch without a winner, a lot of them were second, third or fourth so it’s not like I wasn’t performing, things were just not falling right for me,” he said. “That’s Hong Kong racing, it’s the most competitive scene in the world and you have to be able to take it.”
In fact, 38 percent of Callan’s rides during his cold spell finished second, third or fourth, with 18 of his mounts in the “silver” or “bronze” berths. But with only 13 wins now on the board this term, the rider, noted for his tough style, has not allowed pressure to get him down.
“I put pressure on myself because I don’t want to go long stretches without winners,” he said, “I want to be winning all the time. The most important thing is that you don’t let yourself get down, you believe in yourself, you pick yourself up and nights like tonight make you appreciate what you have.
“Richard was quite keen to put a claimer on Jolly Convergence but I felt that he could win again in Class 4 with me on him.”
Neil Callan with Jolly Convergence, picture Hong Kong Jockey Club
Gibson’s faith was well-placed as the 5.3 shot battled down the inner under a trademark Callan drive. The six-year-old – out of the G2 Queen Mary Stakes heroine Langs Lash – edged the Zac Purton-ridden front-runner Lucky Thought by a neck.
“I thought I’d be closer in the run but obviously they were going a little bit quick, so I was a length further back than I wanted to be. Mid-race the horse travelled and got back up on the bridle quite nicely and I knew from that point that he was going to finish. In the end he dug dep for me.”
Gibson said: “These are great horses to have in your stable – he’s game, he’s very honest and today we thought we had a fantastic chance with the good draw (3). He won well two starts ago when we were very confident. He had to dig deep tonight because Zac got a flyer and it’s great to see Neil perform so well.”
Callan’s win on Perfect Glory sealed a double for the Fownes stable. It was the handler’s Green Luck – under Zac Purton – that denied Callan on Last Kingdom in section one of the Class 3 Hung Hom Handicap (1650m).
The opener went to the game front-runner Mr Right, a seven-year-old graduate of the Hong Kong international Sale who notched his eighth win at start 60 and his 39th at the Valley. Victor Wong guided the Peter Ho-trained runner home.
Derek Leung teamed up with old boss Paul O’Sullivan to take race two on the former Gibson trainee Starlot. Grant van Niekerk enjoyed a comfortable win on the Dennis Yip-trained Gentry in the To Kwa Wan Handicap (1650m).
Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Sunday, 5 May.
