Ben So rode his third double in consecutive meetings at Happy Valley

  PICTURE: Getty  

Star apprentice lands Happy Valley double

Hong Kong report

Happy Valley: Wednesday

HIGHFLYING apprentice Ben So maintained a rich vein of form at HappyValley's midweek card as he rode his third double in consecutive meetings at the city venue. 

So picked up the best quality race of the evening, the Class 1 East Point Handicap, on Legend (David Hall) who was winning for the fourth time of the campaign and for the second successive occasion over the Valley mile with So in the saddle.

The young rider also scored on outsider Fly High (Peter Ho) in a Class 4 sprint earlier in the programme to record the 20th victory of his career and cut his apprentice's allowance from 10lb to 7lb. 

The Ewo Challenge Trophy, the feature cup race on the programme, went to former British-trained El Zonda (Tony Cruz/Matt Chadwick).

Twice successful in Chester sprints as a juvenile during 2008 when he raced as Red Baron Dancer for trainer Jim Boyle, this was El Zonda's second victory around the similarly tight Valley circuit and it will not be his last judged on the winning margin by over two lengths.

Brett Doyle provided the other British interest on the night by steering home his seventh winner of the season when Fortune Pug scored for Doyle's retained trainer Andy Leung. 

Leading jockey Brett Prebble and Manfred Man teamed up to take two of the last three races: Electronic Master and Fortune Red Pepper in Class 4 and Class 3 mile contests.    

Prebble's double meant he edged another winner clear of archrival Douglas Whyte in the jockeys' championship as the latter could only register one win on board Solar Up (Michael Chang).

With this Sunday's Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby meeting marking the 50th of the season's 83 meetings, Prebble is 14 clear of nine-time champion Whyte.   

Meanwhile, trainer Man's latest double enhanced an already excellent season and he lies fourth in the table on 28 winners behind leaders Tony Cruz, Caspar Fownes and JohnSize.

Fownes prepared his now customary Valley winner through the impressive Perfect Gear (Jeff Lloyd) in the penultimate race.