Wednesday night’s (24 January) Sha Tin night meeting proved a kickstarter for jockeys Sam Clipperton and Vincent Ho, who scored their first wins for 2018 at the all-weather track meeting.

Ho took the opener, the Class 5 Spoonbill Handicap (1200m), on Francis Lui-trained Helen’s Choice, while Clipperton produced a sterling ride aboard John Size’s Prawn Baba to take the Class 3 Kestrel Handicap (1800m). Both riders found the winners’ circle for the first time since 3 December.

“Hopefully, there are more winners to come!” a smiling Ho said as he returned to scale.

Clipperton, who turned 24 on Monday (22 January), reflected on what he says has been a “testing period” in his sophomore season in Hong Kong.

“It means a lot to get this win, but everyone goes through dry spells here so it’s just about how you handle it,” Clipperton said. “I’ve just been trying to keep riding well and keep doing my job to the best of my ability. I’ve been a bit unlucky at times. I’ve had a lot of placings – the second in the Hong Kong Mile on Western Express was like a win to me – so while it’s been a dry spell, I feel like it hasn’t been a bad run.

“I do have to thank Mr Size for his support, though. Without him, I wouldn’t have had many rides at all and he’s kept giving me rides. The greatest thrill I got from this win was that it was for him.”

For Clipperton, who moved to Hong Kong from Sydney a season and a half ago, the lean period highlighted one of the key differences between the two racing jurisdictions.

“Here, you only ride twice a week so the opportunities are limited and the length can add up quickly,” he said. “In Australia, you can go 10 meetings or so without a win and it only adds up to a week and a half or two weeks, and you can then go to a provincial track to build your confidence if need be. In Hong Kong, 10 meetings quickly becomes a month and a half or two months. It requires mental strength.”

Prawn Baba, who was talented enough to make last year’s BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) field, relished the drop back to Class 3 to score just his second win in Hong Kong.

“He just had the class edge on them, I think,” Clipperton said. “A good draw, a soft run, he got the breaks and he won with authority. In the right race, he’s always going to do that.”

Earlier, David Ferraris-trained Chater Thunder made it two wins in a row as he scored another Class 4 win in the Sea Eagle Handicap (1650m), giving French jockey Alexis Badel the 10th win of his current stint. Chater Thunder had broken through over this course and distance on 7 January.

“I can’t stress the importance of a good gate with a horse like him,” Ferraris said. “For a horse that races forward, it adds five lengths when he doesn’t have to be pushed and bustled early. That’s been the difference for him these last two starts, as well as getting up in trip.”

Ferraris believes that Chater Thunder, a HK$4.5 million buy from last year’s Hong Kong International Sale, is bred to get over further, with his dam Sanjida a half-sister to – among others – top French staying filly Sarafina.

“I don’t think the 1800m will worry him, that’s what he’s looking for – the dam’s side is very stout,” the trainer said. “I wouldn’t even worry about getting him back on to grass and up to 2000m and beyond. I think that will suit him.”

Jockey Zac Purton scored a double, adding the breakthrough score of Victory Follow Me in the Class 5 Swan Handicap (1650m) to his earlier win aboard Manfred Man’s Happy Happy Star in the second section of the Class 4 Peacock Handicap (1200m). Man said that Happy Happy Star had simply got up into Class 3 when the O’Reilly galloper wasn’t ready for that grade.

“He was only a three-year-old when he won at his second start and I think he was still not quite ready,” Man said. “He looked very nice in his first couple of starts but he lost his way and he had no form. It took time to build up his confidence again but hopefully, after that win tonight, it is back again.”

Man also sent out Jade Fortune to win the night’s closer, the Class 3 Flamingo Handicap (1650m), with Neil Callan in the saddle.

“Neil got him into a perfect position out of the gates, and he sprinted through nicely,” Man said. “I hope he can find another race like this – 1650m on dirt with good speed!”

Also with two winners was trainer Me Tsui, saddling up Winning Supreme to take the first section of the Class 4 Peacock Handicap (1200m) with Dylan Mo up top before Almababy scored in the Class 3 Egret Handicap (1650m) under Nash Rawiller.

Racing returns to Sha Tin on Sunday (28 January) for a Group 1 double-header, with the G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) and the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) the features.