3 minute read

Former Hong Kong and Australian based apprentice Cliffy Lai has made a successful return to the saddle in Macau.

Lai produced a daring front running ride on the Danny Wong trained Oh So Easy in the Class 2 over 1500 metres at Taipa on Sunday.

Oh So Easy, a son of Snippetson, was considered a huge risk over the 1500 metre distance in light of the brilliant speed he had been showing over the shorter sprint races before getting run down, however aided no doubt on Sunday by the soft conditions and on a track that was hard to make ground up on, simply ran his rivals into the ground to win by nearly 10 lengths.

Paying a whopping $1157.00 for the win for a $10 investment, Oh So Easy led from the outset and had the field well and truly strung out mid race. The five year went further ahead coming to the home corner and bounded away at the two hundred to win eased down in the end.

Second placed Kelowna Star (Martin Cangas) did a mighty job to come from a long way off them and put himself into Derby contention, with Yang Jiang Star (Leo Salles) holding on for third.

Sunday’s win was Lai’s first since September 2014 after he spent a long time on the sidelines through injury.

Lai was originally apprenticed to Tony Millard in Hong Kong before plying his trade in Australia with Phil McLeod at Grafton and Graeme Spackman at Goulburn.

He rode 42 winners in Australia before returning to Hong Kong where he gave up riding for many years before being licensed by the Macau Jockey Club in 2012.

It’s been tough going for Filipino rider John Cordero who before Sunday had only notched two winners from his 103 rides in the enclave but a nice ride on Arabian Hawk to win the Class 3 over 1200 metres might see a few more promising opportunities come his way.

Set alight out of the gates by Cordero Arabian Hawk traveled sweetly sharing the lead with Yanson to the corner. Chairman’s Vote (Ryan Curatolo) a stable mate to the winner and also owned by the same connections was hammered into favorite late and loomed as threat soon after straightening but once Cordero got to work Arabian Hawk was off and gone for an easy win.

Mission GDragon (Peter Ho) rallied late for second with Yanson (Calvin Wong) getting by of Chairman’s Vote for third.

In fairness to Cordero the bulk of his rides have been huge double figures and he has managed nine placings, some of those being close calls.

His ride on Arabian Hawk as good as you would want it to be, and the pair will be winning again on the winter tracks by the way the son of Northern Leader romped through Sunday’s soft conditions.