Saturday’s promotion of United We Stand into the field for Sunday’s Class Four Lukfook Jewellery Wedding Collection Handicap (1,200m) transformed the shape of the race and contributed greatly to Jamie Richards celebrating his first Sha Tin success.

The elevation of United We Stand, who led all the way over 1,200m at Sha Tin on December 4, to fill the void created by Good Runner’s withdrawal due to a heart irregularity, turned what looked set to be a pedestrian pace into a scorching speed.

United We Stand attempted to make all under Angus Chung Yik-lai from gate seven, but all the late addition and his 10-pound-claiming apprentice did was set up the race perfectly for the Richards-trained debutant Holy Power and his rider, Lyle Hewitson.

“It’s been a long time coming. I’m thrilled to get on the board here at Sha Tin. It’s a very difficult place to win a race,” said Richards, for whom Holy Power was his 31st starter at the track.

“The stable’s been a bit slow to get into gear for the season. Hopefully, we can build a bit of momentum with some fresh horses coming out.

“He won well. He’s been going through the motions nicely at home. He was able to get a good run from a good barrier, and they went along at a genuine tempo with the tearaway leader, which probably set it up for him a little bit because he’s a horse who we thought 1,200m might be a little bit short for.

“We were going to run him at Happy Valley last week, but unfortunately, he was the first reserve, so we decided to come here and Luke [Currie] had already taken another ride. I feel sorry for Luke – he’s done all the barrier work and educated him. Lyle’s been the lucky recipient of what Luke’s done.”

Hewitson on the double

Holy Power was the first of Hewitson’s two winners at Sha Tin on Sunday, a double that consolidated his position in the top five of the jockeys’ premiership standings as the calendar year draws to a close.

Hewitson, whose 16 victories this term have been split nine at Sha Tin and seven at Happy Valley, teamed up with Danny Shum Chap-shing’s Lightning Bolt to secure the Class Three Lukfook Jewellery Pt Graceful Collection Handicap (1,200m) on the dirt.

Lighting Bolt overcame gate 11 to register his fourth career success, but the only galloper drawn wider than the victor, Midori Beauty, did not have the best of luck under Zac Purton as the champion’s quest for a race-to-race-to-race treble went awry.

Fiery Diamond’s bid to make it four wins from four starts at Sha Tin this season did not go according to plan either, with Benno Yung Tin-pang’s all-weather specialist finishing in eighth place.

Joyful Hall strikes early again

For the second consecutive meeting, David Hall was the early bird who caught the worm, saddling the card-opening winner at Sha Tin four days after he had kicked off Wednesday’s Happy Valley programme with another victory for his yard.

Management Folks shed his maiden tag at the city track midweek and on Sunday, it was the turn of Joyful Genius to get himself off the mark.

Joyful Genius swooped late under Purton to win the Class Five Lukfook Jewellery Hexicon Handicap (1,400m) on what was his 18th appearance.

“I probably didn’t expect for him to have to get to Class Five to do that,” Hall said.

“Everybody can see how consistent he’s been – running good races, running placings. A lot of times he probably hasn’t helped himself early days. He was over-racing quite a bit, but then he’s been in races where he’s had no pace or no luck and just hasn’t been able to get the win. He’s ended up in Class Five, and obviously, he was too good for them.

“He’s well proven he’s capable in Class Four. That win might just give him the confidence to get another one fairly quickly.”

Cheery afternoon for Yiu

Apart from Purton (four wins), Hewitson (two wins) and Size (two wins, including the feature quinella with Ping Hai Galaxy and Power Koepp), Ricky Yiu Poon-fai was Sunday’s other multiple winner.

McNeil breaks through for first Hong Kong winner near end of challenging stint

In addition to supplying Jye McNeil with his first Hong Kong winner (Excellent Fighter), Yui provided Purton with one of his four winners, Cheery, with the four-year-old miler taking out the Class Four Lukfook Jewellery Goldstyle Handicap (1,600m).