It was a return to business as usual for Neil Callan at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (15 November) as the Irish jockey scored his first brace for the term.

Callan has been a top-five mainstay in the jockeys’ championship in recent years and admits it has been a slow start to the season by his standards. The rider, who only had three rides on Wednesday night, now sits mid-table on seven wins after his race-to-race double aboard Keep Moving and Top Laurels.

“I’m happy to be getting going now,” Callan said. “The first few weeks of the season, it’s just been a bit slow but the pattern of the meetings has been a bit different early – there have been small fields and it has been harder to get rides. It’s returning to normal, though, and hopefully it is onwards and upwards for us now.”

Top Laurels (124lb) won the night’s feature, the Class 3 Japan Racing Association Trophy Handicap (1650m), in a driving finish. Bounced out by Callan, the rider eased the War Chant five-year-old to settle fourth one-off as leader Dr Win Win (129lb) set very slow fractions out in front.

“It was a matter of whether he would settle in the run,” Callan said. “In recent starts, I have been trying to teach him how to race properly because he just seemed to carry his head a bit high with his mouth open. He still did that tonight, although he was better when I got him onto the back straight.”

In the straight, Top Laurels sprinted strongly when pulled to the centre of the track, producing enough to hold fast-finishing Super Form (119lb) by a neck.

“He’s done all his racing at Sha Tin but for the last few runs, I’ve been thinking I’d love to get him across to Happy Valley,” he said. “He’s been running well in most of his races but I thought the track was a little bit firm for him at Sha Tin. I always thought the more genuine tempo at Happy Valley would suit him better too. He’s a talented horse, his trials were enormous, and hopefully there’s more in store for him. ”

Keep Moving (126lb) was sent out a 2.1 favourite for the sixth, the Class 3 Nakayama Handicap (1000m), on the back of a narrow course and distance victory fresh in October. Beginning sharply, the four-year-old was on the speed throughout, holding off the late charge of John Size’s Money Boy (118lb) to win by a neck.

“He’s a nice horse, this, but he’s so naturally fast that I didn’t want to pull him in behind,” Callan said. “He was travelling so strongly on the bridle that I just let him do everything on his own, even when he was challenged on the turn. When I got into the straight, I tried to hold onto him as long as possible as I thought the swoopers would be coming and for him to hold on, it was an incredible effort.

“The last 50m or so, I thought he was looking around a little bit more than normal so I think, when he has a race where he has something to run at, he’ll be even better. I think he’s got more improvement in him yet.”

Badel breaks through for first win of current stint

Callan shared riding honours with Frenchman Alexis Badel, who made the fifth meeting of his sophomore Hong Kong season a night to remember with a double of his own.

Badel brought Confucius Spirit with a well-timed run to take the first section of the Class 4 Kyoto Handicap (1200m) at 24/1 for title-leading trainer Frankie Lor, but it was his victory aboard enigmatic Danny Shum-trained gelding Lucky Girl in the nightcap, the Class 2 Tokyo Handicap (1650m), that proved particularly poignant.

“Of course, I think it is important to break the ice, so the first winner is always important,” Badel said. “But it was really good to win for Danny in the last, he gave me a lot of good horses last time and he’s really supported me again this time.”

Noted for his awkward and gangly physique, Lucky Girl does not immediately appear the type who would be suited to the tight confines of the Happy Valley track, and Shum admitted to harbouring concerns before the six-year-old’s course debut in October.

“He was frustrating me last season,” Shum said. “He has all the talent but he just wasn’t putting it together. We even talked about retirement, but the owner said he loved the horse and wanted to keep him in training, so we have been trying different things. I didn’t think Happy Valley would suit him, but his last run was so good even with 133lb to carry – just one more step and he would have won.

“He needs everything to go right for him and he needs to be able to stretch out, but it was a good ride from Alexis tonight – he gave the horse everything he needs to win.”

For Badel, riding Lucky Girl was a careful balancing act that had to be managed precisely.

“I think this horse needs to come from behind, he is better when he chases rather than being in front,” Badel said. “You can’t chase him too much, so the balance was about trying to settle him for the first half for the race but then making sure that he was close enough that he didn’t have to make up too much ground in the straight. For him to balance up and sprint, he had to be close enough.”

Racing returns to Sha Tin on Sunday (19 November) for the Bank Of China Hong Kong Raceday. Three lead-up races to the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races – the G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup (2000m), G2 BOCHK Wealth Management Jockey Club Mile (1600m) and G2 BOCHK Wealth Management Jockey Club Sprint (1200m) – headline the card, which gets underway at 1pm.