Big Day For Leung And Reith At Hawkesbury
- Sunday, 20 July 2014 08:52
Visiting Hong Kong jockey Derek Leung has ridden his first Australian winner at his second ride, scoring on Cabalistic for Sheikh Mohammed's Darley operation at Hawkesbury.
Leung was invited to Sydney by Gai Waterhouse and has also been riding trackwork and barrier trials for Darley trainer John O'Shea.
Retired champion jockey Darren Beadman, representing Darley on Sunday, said Leung deserved more recognition.
"I'm so happy for him," Beadman said. "He has come here for a month and is very under-rated in Hong Kong."
Leung is no stranger to this part of the world having been apprenticed to Lance O'Sullivan in New Zealand before having his indentures transferred to the trainer's brother Paul in Hong Kong.
The 26-year-old is spending a month in Australia while Hong Kong racing is in hiatus.
"I'm very happy for my first winner for Darley and I thank Darren a lot for helping me out in Sydney," Leung said.
Sydney jockey Christian Reith will be one of Leung's opponents in the new Hong Kong season.
After an end-of-season stint in Hong Kong, Reith will return in September on a six-month contract.
He is also spending his down-time riding and celebrated a milestone at the meeting, securing the Hawkesbury premiership over James McDonald with a winning double.
After steering the Joe Pride-trained Fast Grass to draw level with McDonald he beat his rival in the benchmark 65 when he rode Skip Course for Donna Grisedale to win the title by one.
"I've always had a lot of luck here," Reith said.
"It's great to win the premiership. I've ridden many winners for Darley here under Peter Snowden."
Former Darley trainer Snowden, who began a partnership with his son Paul in May, was a comfortable winner of the Hawkesbury trainers' title.
The final meeting of the season at the outer Sydney track was also significant for the Chris Waller stable with Long Kiss winning a 1300m Class One.
The Lonhro filly is the first winner Waller has trained in a new association with Denise Martin's Star Thoroughbreds.
After many years exclusively with Gai Waterhouse, Martin announced a few months ago all yearlings bought in 2013 would go to Waller along with a few other horses.
The Waterhouse-trained Echo Prince gave Star Thoroughbreds a Hawkesbury double with his win in the two-year-old race.
