John Moore was pleasantly surprised and so was jockey Howard Cheng Yue-tin as he snapped a lengthy losing streak then turned back the clock to snatch a Panasonic Cup win in his first double for over a year.

Cheng won the 2009 Panasonic Cup for Moore on lightweight White Jade but had ridden for the leading yard only 20 times since before he was legged up on Dashing Fellow to upset rising stars Sun Jewellery (Joao Moreira) and Blizzard.

A big chunk of Cheng's last six years had been spent out with injury after a sickening Happy Valley fall in 2013 but, just like on White Jade, it was his ability to ride light that brought the connection with Moore. 

"Howard asked me if he could ride some of the light ones and this fitted the bill," said Moore after the four-year-old had crossed to the front then got a breather that proved the difference at odds of 17-1.

"It's a bit of a surprise but a pleasant one. We always knew this horse had talent but when he drew barrier 14, against that class of horse, I admit I had my doubts. Off the way he's won that, I would say he'll definitely be up to winning a Group Three race. It just shows - my son George bought him as a yearling, for not much money, and he's won five races and almost HK$5 million."
 

Moore said the plan was to press forward but he was concerned that others would have the same idea in a race that didn't look to have a lot of speed in it.

"I wanted him to lead but I also gave Howard a Plan B if horses like Happy Yeah Yeah or Way May Friend tried to push up," Moore said. "As it was, he got over quite comfortably."

Cheng had been 88 rides without a winner before Benno Yung Tin-pang's Diamond King won the fifth race yesterday but along came Dashing Fellow at his very next mount.

"I knew the pace was quite fast when he came across but, in order to get the rail, I decided to let him go and he travelled very well throughout the back straight then kept running strongly after entering the home straight and only a very good horse could do this," said Cheng.

Like runner-up Sun Jewellery, Dashing Fellow may head towards the major four-year-old races like the Classic Mile, but Moore said he was under no illusions about the task ahead there.

"He's got a lot of weight off Sun Jewellery today but when he goes there it will be level weights so I would have reservations about his ability to win one of those but I'm sure the owners would love to run if we can get him to the Group Ones."

Sun Jewellery's defeat into second was his first loss in Hong Kong and trainer John Size said the gelding will improve in fitness, but his run will no doubt become more famous on YouTube than the winner's after some spectacular circus antics from Moreira in the final 150m.

Moreira had pulled the whip through from his left hand to his right and was about to slap Sun Jewellery with it when the whip flew out of his hand, up in the air and to his left. Hardly missing a beat, the Brazilian changed hands to hold the reins with his right hand again, then stuck out his left to catch the whip in mid-air.

Ricky Yiu Poon-fai-trained Blizzard was well backed to win the Class One feature too but travelled wide before finishing out of the placings then pulled up with blood in the trachea as well.

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