The DBS x Manulife Million Challenge ended in a tie for the second time in three years at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, with Copartner Ambition and Tomodachi Kokoroe sharing the winnings.

Connections of the David Hayes-trained Tomodachi Kokoroe were in the box seat after the five-year-old saluted early on the card, but Danny Shum Chap-shing’s Copartner Ambition rattled home for second in the night’s penultimate event to draw level.

The winning connections walked away with a bonus of HK$675,000 each, while the Shum-trained Chill Chibi finished third, earning HK$150,000.

“I thought we had it all to ourselves at the 400m. I’m really proud of Tomodachi Kokoroe. To come from Class Four to winning in Class One in one season is a good effort,” Hayes said.

Tomodachi Kokoroe took the lead with victory in the fourth event, the Class One Singapore Pools Handicap (1,200m), digging deep late after travelling in the one-one under Karis Teetan to edge out Bundle Of Charm in the tightest of head-bobbing finishes.

Tomodachi Kokoroe moved to 51 Million Challenge points with his fourth victory of the season in the HK$3.72 million contest, passing Chill Chibi – who didn’t run on Wednesday night – on 49 points.

“It’s a nice pick-me-up after the weekend, it was nice to win that,” said Hayes, referencing the antics of the stubborn Global Harmony at Sha Tin on Sunday.

“He’s a horse from Cairns and he’s won a A$700,000 Class One today. How well he’s done is quite unthinkable. He’s been a wonderful horse.”

Son Pak Fu and Majestic Knight also entered the Singapore Pools Handicap with hopes of plundering the Million Challenge loot but could only finish fourth and sixth, respectively.

Copartner Ambition began the evening on 45 points and could have saluted outright with victory in the Class Three Sing Woo Handicap (1,200m), but the six-year-old had to settle for second behind Bon’s A Pearla.

“I’m happy, very happy,” Shum said after his fourth Million Challenge win. “Keeping my owners happy, keeping my horses happy is a major part of my job. This horse has done a very good job. It’s a long series, so it’s good to win.”

The evening’s other Class One, the Shan Kwong Handicap (1,650m), may not have had any bearing on the Million Challenge but it did boast a first prize comfortably more than three times the bonus the winners received.

Sent out an $8.4 fourth elect, Ricky Yiu Poon-fai’s Mr Ascendency sat outside pacesetter Telecom Fighters in a slowly run race before drawing clear under Harry Bentley for a comfortable victory.

“He had a lightweight and the tempo of the race was very slow. Before the race, you never know what the tempo will be like but he had a big advantage because he sat second to the leader and kicked,” Yiu said after Mr Ascendency’s first success in over a year.

“The horse that was second [Happy Together ] was carrying 15 pounds more than us. The jockey did well, he’s an English horse and was with an English jockey who knows the horse well.

“This race was not a particularly strong race and that’s why he can win. He’ll have a bigger task next time, but you never know.”

Bentley went onto land a double, snaring the Class Four Yuk Sau Handicap (1,800m) aboard Tony Cruz’s Serangoon, while Teetan landed a brace of his own with victory on Galvanic for Caspar Fownes in the Class Four Yik Yam Handicap (1,650m).

Cruz was the only trainer to walk away with a double, rounding out his night by filling the trifecta in the Class Three Village Handicap (1,650m) thanks to Winning Dragon, Lovero and Red Hare King.

Held between September and February, the Million Challenge is open to horses in Class Three and above, with 15 points awarded for a win, six for second, four for third and three for fourth.