A collaboration of champion jockeys – past and present – and brutal discipline paved the way for Savvy Nine to belatedly break his Hong Kong maiden in emphatic style with victory in the G3 January Cup Handicap (1800), leaving Douglas Whyte to celebrate his first Group winner as a trainer.
Christophe Soumillon ruthlessly delivered on his promise to ride Savvy Nine at 120lb – a weight the Belgian rarely attains – as Whyte marveled at his former race-track rival’s tactical savvy.
In 16 starts in Hong Kong, including 12 for the retired John Moore, and four this season for Whyte, Savvy Nine had frequently shaped to win without breaking through.
But it took a strategic gem from Soumillon for the gelding to post his first victory in the jurisdiction, and just the second of the former British-trained galloper’s career.
Whyte, whose phenomenal riding exploits run to an unmatched 13 jockey championships and 1,813 wins, was delighted to have Soumillon in the saddle for his first black type triumph as a trainer.
“Christophe has been one of the masters of the game for a long time,” Whyte said.
“When he came here, I had a lot of run-ins with him as a jockey. I beat him, he beat me. That’s what competition is all about.