Wishful Thinker holds an entry to the G1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m) in Dubai at the end of March and after the progressive sprinter surged late to land the Class 1 Happy Valley Trophy Handicap (1200m) tonight (Wednesday, 13 February), trainer Richard Gibson was keen to book a flight.

“It was a fantastic performance from the horse again,” the handler said after the five-year-old missed the break yet stormed home to nick the spoils by a neck from California Fortune (119lb).

“I thought he was the best horse going into the race but he’s pretty unsuited to this track, he loves a straight 1200 (metres), so with a bit of luck we’ll be on our way to Dubai!”

Wishful Thinker (130lb) raced keenly in the trail trio behind a hot tempo and when the field straightened for home jockey Alexis Badel had to ask his mount a serious question.

“He usually likes the fast pace because he takes a bit of time to get balanced but this time I was looking for a gap for a clear run in the straight, so I had to push him a little bit earlier compared to the first time I won here. I took the opportunity and he wasn’t ready but he’s a talented horse and the pace they went helped me to catch the leader,” the Frenchman said.

The Australian import charged for the line, covering the final 400m in 22.82s for a winning time of 1m 09.29s. The I Am Invincible gelding has now won five of 13 starts in Hong Kong.

“He’s very talented and it’s impossible to say how much he might improve after this. He’s always moving a little bit in the gate, he’s just like this and there’s nothing you can do as a jockey – just try to relax him and focus him because he is his own enemy,” said Badel, who completes his winter contract after this Sunday’s Sha Tin fixture.

Gibson added: “It was a torrid run, he missed the jump – it’s great that we’ve got these guys like Alexis Badel and I thought he rode him with a lot of calm and he really executed the plan brilliantly.”

Star takes Million Challenge

Telecom Brothers went into the Happy Valley Trophy as the only horse in a position to trouble Country Star at the head of the Hong Kong Airlines Million Challenge. But the Me Tsui-trained galloper was unable to grab the 15 points for a win that would have snatched the HK$650,000 first prize cheque away from John Size’s exciting young sprinter.

Country Star’s owners, the HK Country Club Racing Syndicate, picked up the winner’s bonus at the end of the annual contest, which started in September. Country Star wrapped up with 66 points, stablemate Red Warrior hung on for second place with 64points and Telecom Brothers settled for third with 55 points after running home eighth.

Rare night for Moore

John Moore is not noted for filling up with winners at Happy Valley but left the city track with a treble in hand.

“This is a pretty rare occurrence because we don’t win so many races at Happy Valley, we don’t put many here that have real chances,” he said.

But the stable kicked off with a “Happy” double when Hong Kong International Sale Graduate Happy Warrior broke his maiden in the fourth contest, and one race later, Happy Dragon made it a brace. Zac Purton was in the plate both times, bossing the opposition with savvy jockeyship.

Encouraging (133lb) completed the Moore three-timer in a dead-heat with the Peter Ho-trained Magnificent (112lb) – a 188/1 longshot – in race eight, the Class 3 King Kwong Handicap (1650m). Dylan Mo kicked for home on the Ho galloper but Silvestre de Sousa delivered the Moore runner on the right stride to dip in tandem with his rival as the post flashed by.

“This was the first meeting where I’ve really put together a smart bunch of horses for here and it has happened, three of them have won. They were the three I thought could win tonight and all we needed was an ounce of luck,” Moore said.

“It’s just proven that if we bring the right horses here we can do the job. We should be two or three winners more than we are this season because we’ve got a great stable. And we’ve got good ones coming on line: the likes of Uncle Steve, and you haven’t seen the good two-year-olds yet.”

De Sousa concluded the nine-race card with a win on the exciting Me Tusi-trained sprinter Music Addition (131lb). The four-year-old followed a three-length score at the track last time with a length and a half win in the Class 3 Blue Pool Handicap (1200m). The Size-trained Tornado Twist (130lb), 2.4 joint-favourite with the winner, kept on for fourth.

“He’s nice and I really like him,” De Sousa said. “The way the race popped up it didn’t really suit because I was going a bit too fast but I committed to my run and didn’t want anyone in my position – I thought I had a bit up my sleeve for this race.

“He’s still learning, he has very little mileage on him so there’ll be much more from him, I hope.”

Purton ended the evening with a three-timer of his own, having taken the opener with a straightforward victory on the Caspar Fownes-trained race favourite E Master.

There was a touch of “A boy named Sue” about the Class 4 Village Handicap (1200m) victor as the Tony Cruz-trained three-year-old gelding Wah May Princess secured a first career win under Karis Teetan.

The Mauritian rider bagged a double for the same trainer when Circuit Glory made the running and held on bravely to repel the fast-finishing Litterateur in the Class 1 Shan Kwong Handicap (1650m). That gave Teetan 50 for the campaign.

Umberto Rispoli was on the mark in race two, driving the David Ferraris-trained Showing Character to a first win since December 2016.

Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Sunday, 17 February.