Carroll Street is a young horse on the rise and 13-time champion jockey-turned-trainer Douglas Whyte says he is learning what is required to nurture promising juveniles through the arduous Hong Kong system.

The three-year-old returned in top order at Sha Tin on Saturday, bolting in under jockey Vincent Ho Chak-yiu to announce his return to racing following respiratory issues.

Whyte’s relief was there for all to see post race, with the handler saying his patience had been rewarded.

“I was adamant when I entered him last time that he would be a winning chance at the Valley. I thought he would suit it there with his short, sharp burst,” he said of his scratching in February.

“Having sat on him and worked him, I wasn’t going to run him with the mucus that he had. I think it could have been to his own detriment – he would have gone backwards rather than forwards.

“He gets better every time, it is very satisfying. It is to do with Conghua, if he was boxed up here with the pollution in the air, [the mucus] could have been lingering on for a lot longer.”

After producing a number of promising youngsters in his short training career, Whyte said he is learning which ones he can push on with and which ones he can’t.

The trainer says the son of Outreach has not only made huge physical development since arriving in Hong Kong from Australia, but mental improvement as well.

“You can get them ready to win first-up but it is how you cuddle them after that [that matters],” he said.

“You can bring them back to the races if they are tough enough but if you bring them back and you hurt them, it can take a long time to get over it.

“[Carroll Street] is one of the few that indicated to me that he did his best in two runs so it was time to back off a bit. When he came here he was tiny. He has grown substantially even though he still looks small.

“Besides a growth spurt, mentally he has been a big changer. He has come from the bush and hit the city of Hong Kong and gone ‘wow’.”

With that in mind, Whyte said he would be cautious in deciding where to go next with Carroll Street, saying he would not be rushed into racing him regularly against seasoned horses.

“We will look at the programme and see what is available for him,” he said. “He isn’t a horse I will bring back to the races too soon, he is small but he gives his best so he will appreciate a bit of time between races.”

Carroll Street’s victory also marked astute bloodstock agent David Price’s 700th win in Hong Kong.

The Price Bloodstock brand is well remembered for purchasing the likes of Silent Witness, Hot King Prawn, Ivictory and most recently Courier Wonder.

It is fitting it was a Whyte-trained horse that helped bring up the significant milestone given it was the South African who was in the saddle for a number of those 700 victories when riding for 11-time champion trainer John Size.

“Douglas probably rode plenty of the 700,” Price laughed. “Every milestone is satisfying. Everyone at home is working hard to get to 800 wins as soon as possible.”

Carroll Street was the first leg of an impressive double for Whyte, who also had three minor placings on the day.

Taking Aim was a dominant wire-to-wire winner of the Class Three Devon Handicap (1,400m) with the former John Moore-trained galloper finally finding his feet for his new handler.

Whyte admitted it was challenging to workout the Australian import, but it was a change in tactics that proved the difference on Saturday.

“It has taken a long time to work the horse out, he is not the most simple individual,” he said. “He is quite pedantic both mentally and physically.

“Distance-wise he is a dead set 1,400m horse, you have to get him to the race where he can lead and lead comfortably. He has been attacked and then he hasn’t got out so he has had his own misfortunes but today it all went his way.”

It was Whyte’s apprentice Jerry Chau Chun-lok who was in the saddle for the breakthrough victory, with the 21-year-old using his seven-pound claim to full advantage to spear the son of Choisir over to the rail within two furlongs from a sticky barrier 11 before controlling the race for an easy victory.