Dirt track specialist Elusive State posted an impressive win in the Class 2 Kwangtung Handicap Cup (1650m) at Sha Tin this afternoon (Sunday, 27 October) but trainer Tony Millard remained evasive regarding future plans for the talented six-year-old.

“We’ve got a plan for him so we hope we can pull it off. I had an international jockey get hold of me, so I’ve got a plan. We’ll see what happens now, see how he pulls up,” the handler said.

The rumour mill has thrown around plenty of conjecture in recent days about whether or not the trainer might send Elusive State (rated 96 for today’s test) to the Dubai Carnival or even the new Saudi Cup early next year. Millard would not be drawn.

Part-owner Eden Wong was a little more forthcoming but reluctantly so.

“I hope he gets enough points to go to Saudi Arabia for the Saudi Cup but it’s all up to the trainer and if the horse gets a high enough rating,” he said.

Either way, Millard’s gelding will be rated above the 100 mark after this sixth win on the dirt and the handler knows his options on Sha Tin’s inner “all-weather” are all but gone.

“It’s very tough because we’ve got to get an international Group class dirt horse qualified by running on the grass, which is very tough, because there are so few races here in Hong Kong for him,” he said.

Elusive State went off the 2.3 favourite despite shouldering top-weight of 131lb in the nine-runner feature.

Three-time course winner Buddies (121lb) led the field under Grant van Niekerk but when Joao Moreira switched out Elusive State at the top of the stretch, the front-runner looked vulnerable.

“When I pulled him out and gave him a clear run I was always going to be the winner because I know his finish is strong, even if he was carrying top-weight he was giving me so much confidence through the race,” the Brazilian said.

Elusive State closed through the final 400m in 22.99s to score by a length and three quarters in a time of 1m 38.52s.

“I wasn’t very impressed with his barrier trial, to be honest – Tony was and I wasn’t – but today I was very impressed,” Moreira continued.

“He’s a nice horse and it’s an amazing job from Tony, he has improved him tremendously. Being given this opportunity to ride him is a real pleasure.”

Millard believes there is more improvement to come.

“We’re very happy with the run, Grant said Buddies kicked and our horse still went past him,” he said.

“He did everything we wanted and I think I can still get him better. He hasn’t run since the sprint (first-up) and I don’t know if there’s going to be another race for him until December.

“I’m really stoked because it was a great run. He won with the authority we know he has. He gave the second horse 10 pounds and he gave him a hiding.”

All nine of the afternoon’s races were staged on Sha Tin’s all-weather (dirt) track.

Moreira treble

Moreira secured his second win on the day with a rail-running swoop, nailing section two of the Class 4 Shenzhen Handicap (1200m) aboard the Francis Lui-trained Fortune Happiness.

And the three-time Hong Kong champion jockey made it three when the David Ferraris-trained Bear Slam took the Class 3 Zhuhai Handicap (1650m). That was the British Listed winner’s first local success at the 13th attempt.

“I thought, looking at the field, if he couldn’t win this I’d be very disappointed. He had the gate, everything was in his favour and he had Moreira on, so we’re all very happy,” Ferraris said.

Moreira was out of luck in the Class 3 Guangzhou Handicap (1200m). The Brazilian kicked for home on the Jimmy Ting-trained Aquila (115lb) but Regan Bayliss delivered the Manfred Man-trained Mr Wealth (124lb) with a late run to edge it by a neck.

That took Bayliss to two wins this term, two months into his current four-month contract.

The Caspar Fownes-trained Seven Heavens (133lb) finally got his head in front at the 20th try thanks to Blake Shinn’s late delivery to win section one of the Class 3 Guangzhou Handicap (1200m) by a head from Utopia Life (120lb).

Alberto Sanna followed a midweek double at the Valley with a sixth win of the campaign aboard the Douglas Whyte-trained Chater Thunder. The Hong Kong International Sale graduate had to grind under a Sanna drive to overhaul long-time leader Winning Circle in the last stride of the Class 5 Huizhou Handicap (1650m).

The Me Tsui stable always does well on the Sha Tin dirt track and boasted a 15 percent win strike rate last term. The handler bagged his second win on the surface this term when Curling Luxury made all to take the Class 4 Foshan Handicap (1800m) under Jack Wong, who had a 10 percent win strike rate on the course before today.

Michael Chang moved to two wins for the season when Van Niekerk drove the trainer’s Star Superior to a three-quarter-length win in section one of the Class 4 Shenzhen Handicap (1200m).

Trainer Peter Ho and jockey Dylan Mo teamed up to take the opener, the Class 5 Dongguan Handicap (1200m), with Rochford.

Hong Kong racing continues at Happy Valley on Wednesday, 30 October.