Champion jockey Douglas Whyte's freshly rekindled relationship
from RACING POST HK
Champion jockey Douglas Whyte's freshly rekindled relationship with the John Moore stable is paying dividends and the pair can claim another victory in the Beijing Clubhouse Anniversary Cup (1,650m) at Happy Valley tonight with Winning Bear.
Whyte has ridden many winners for Moore over his long career, but he had hardly ridden at all for the yard for two years until he hooked up for wins with Military Attack and Dominant at the end of last season.
Now the South African is drawing on that "new" partnership to good effect to fend off the latest threat to his crown, Zac Purton. Victories on Kynam and Secret Sham on the weekend gave Whyte five wins from 15 mounts for Moore this term, and the lightly raced Winning Bear gives him a great chance to keep things rolling.
The four-year-old by More Than Ready hasn't been the quickest learner, but he showed glimpses of ability in his early runs and seems to gradually be getting his act together more recently.
Sound performance for a fourth and third over this track and distance at his latest two attempts set him up for an early maiden victory and this looks an ideal place for it.
From gate three and on the fresh side at his first start for seven weeks, Winning Bear should take up a forward position that will stand him in good stead on the C+3 course, but he has shown he will be just as comfortable sitting behind the pace if others push over from wider out.