There's no stopping the in-form stable of Me Tsui Yu-sak. At the back end of the season when the top stables struggle for winners, Tsui was the lamplighter yesterday with a treble from the first four races. Tsui's second win for the afternoon with Picture Perfect gave him a half century of winners - which became 51 just 35 minutes later - and he is giving Caspar Fownes serious discomfort in a final drive for second place behind John Size on the trainers' title chase.
Tsui hit the ground running by taking the Yung Shue O Plate for griffins with My Smartie ($144), and followed up with Perfect Picture ($122) in the Class Five mile.
He then saddled up Rainbow Oasis ($147.50), who completed a 2,590-1 three-timer for the yard by rushing home for a solid win in the Class Four sprint on the all-weather track.
The Tsui story is a great one and the modest, understated horseman may not even understand what an inspiration he is proving to be for hundreds of mafoos, work riders and assistant trainers.
He started well after gaining his licence in 2005-06, with 17 wins, and improved to 26 last season. But this term, with greater numbers behind him, Tsui has climbed the trainers' ladder like a bullet.
The man himself remains very modest and self-effacing, laughing at his own misjudgment for having told Perfect Picture's owner Philip Chan Kwok-chung the gelding would not handle the soft track.
"That's why you need some luck, even when things are going well," Tsui smiled. "The thing for this horse is that he has early speed and, having raced last Sunday, we knew he was fit. But I was worried about him on a wet track."
Zac Purton continued his winning run by taking the griffin race on the American-bred My Smartie, and described the three-year-old as "very professional".
Tsui said two lead-up races has been good for My Smartie's fitness and experience, and he had hoped the first 1,400m griffin race would give him a chance to shine.
Rainbow Oasis was another back-up horse, with the Australian-bred son of Easy Rocking having resumed from a break last week with a late-closing third behind impressive winner Bravo Bravo.
"He ran very well last Sunday and his breeding made me quite confident that he would handle the dirt as well," Tsui said. "He's by Easy Rocking, and the only other horse by that sire in Hong Kong is Manfred Man's horse Great Hero, who won two dirt races earlier in the season and won them easily."
Rainbow Oasis was handled by Marco Chui Kwan-lai, who gave him a soft transit back in the field before taking him to the outside and allowing him to produce a strong finish. It was Chui's 34th winner for the season.
