David Hall notched his 600th Hong Kong win at Sha Tin on Saturday, although the veteran trainer was, arguably, more excited about the future prospects of the progressive galloper whose victory got him to the milestone.

Hall reached the personal landmark when unexposed speedster Invincible Sage showed a touch of class to salute in the Class Three Panasonic 4KTV Handicap (1,000m) under Hugh Bowman.

“I think when I had 500 winners, somebody said, ‘That’s a good number,’ so 600 is even better,” Hall said, reflecting on his achievement. “To win it with a syndicate horse is very fitting.”

An impressive first-up winner over this course and distance last month, Invincible Sage was sent off as the $2.2 favourite for Saturday’s straight-track sprint.

Bowman, who fell from the ill-fated Tuchel in the Class One Panasonic Cup (1,400m) later on the card, was forced to navigate an interrupted passage before Invincible Sage quickened to overhaul Sparkling Knight in the closing stages.

“He gave away a bit of a start and was in a tricky spot for a while, but he got himself out of trouble, which good horses can do,” said Hall, who joined the Hong Kong training roster ahead of the 2004-05 season and prepared Absolute Champion to win the 2006 Hong Kong Sprint, 2007 Chairman’s Sprint Prize and 2008 Centenary Sprint Cup at Group One level.

A three-time winner from seven Australian appearances, Invincible Sage did not get off the mark in his three local starts last term before resuming in style in the Class Three Hong Kong China’s Asian Games Medallists Cup (1,000m) on October 22.

“He was unlucky on his first run last season, and subsequently, he had a couple of runs where things didn’t work out perfectly for him,” Hall said. “He had a bit of a break and did what he did first up before repeating that today with a big weight.”

Although Invincible Sage holds an entry for next month’s Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m), Hall believes a patient approach could be more suitable for the improving four-year-old, with the handler eyeing a Class Two contest over 1,000m on December 17.

“Look, that was just a free entry, and I think it’s all going to come about too quickly for him,” Hall said.

“I don’t think he’ll be running in it. We’ll have a look at handicaps with him for the moment. There’s a 1,000m Class Two race here at the end of December, and I’m thinking that might be the race for him.

“We’ll have a look at him, and see how he comes out of this race. At the moment, that’s what I’m thinking.”

Invincible Sage’s victory marked the 10th of the season for Hall, who also weighed up Hong Kong’s sprinting division after the son of Thronum returned to the winner’s enclosure.

“The sprinting ranks are pretty shallow, and after the top couple, there aren’t many there to make up the numbers,” Hall said.