James McDonald delivered a masterful ride on The Golden Scenery to win the Class 1 Chevalier Cup Handicap (1600m) at Sha Tin, earning praise from trainer Tony Cruz.
Despite concerns about the horse’s performance at 1600m, McDonald’s strategy of sticking to the fence from barrier one led to victory in a slow-paced race.
This win was part of McDonald’s double on the day, his first featuring Wunderbar in the Class 4 Chevalier Lifts & Escalators Handicap (1000m).
Cruz had specifically chosen McDonald for The Golden Scenery, aiming to test the horse at a mile.
The gamble paid off, with The Golden Scenery narrowly beating Atullibigeal by a short head in a time of 1m 34.67s.
In other races, Pierre Ng’s I Give clinched a fifth season win, leading the trainers’ championship. Drombeg Banner, under Andrea Atzeni, and Chancheng Glory also secured wins.
Apex Top triumphed in the Class 5 Chevalier Insurance Handicap, and the Hong Kong racing scene saw Karis Teetan rise in the jockeys’ championship and Benno Yung’s Fun Together win again.
