Widely tipped to make a significant leap in the trainers’ championship, Mark Newnham made an almost perfect start to his second season in Hong Kong with a double at the season opener.

The Australian’s patient approach to his first campaign in the city was rewarded, with a late-season surge boosting his tally to 31 victories, and he carried that momentum into Sunday’s Sha Tin meeting when Same To You and My Wish delivered him a brace.

“I couldn’t ask for a better start and horses like [My Wish], we were patient with last season and they will have good futures here,” said Newnham, who has a strong team of 62 horses on his books for the new season.

“It’s a balance between rushing and doing the right thing by the horse.”

Same To You managed just one placing from eight starts last term, but he showed sharp improvement to score his first career triumph in the Class Five Lin Fa Shan Handicap (1,200m).

Sent out a $15 chance, the six-year-old was urged forward by Brenton Avdulla to settle second before pouncing on the lead at the 250m.

He gave a strong kick to hold off Ho Ho Star, who stormed home from last, by half a length. Super Elite, the $3.1 favourite, held on for third after a tough run three-wide without cover.

“He’s taken a long time and lucky I’ve got some patient owners, but he’s just starting to do things right,” Newnham said after Same To You broke through at start 10.

“He was very hot all the time before and over-racing, but he’s starting to relax now. In his work he’s been a lot better, his trial was good and Brenton rode him very well.

“There’s more wins in him – it’s just good to get the first one.”

My Wish justified $2.2 favouritism with a powerful all-the-way victory in the first section of the Class Four Yi Tung Shan Handicap (1,200m) under Luke Ferraris.

The four-year-old proved too slick for Super Legends by two and a quarter lengths, going one better after a close second at his previous start in June.

“He’s only a small, immature horse so the break did him good,” Newnham said.

“I thought he would win and he was only beaten an inch at the end of last season. He has improved and we were pretty confident.”

Poon pounces with monster double

While only a handful of riders sat below Matthew Poon Ming-fai in last season’s jockey championship, the 30-year-old made sure he started the new campaign on the front foot when he bagged a 570-1 double in consecutive races.

Only seven of the rider’s 18 wins in the 2023-24 campaign came at Sha Tin, but the two-pound claimer made a perfect start towards bettering that tally thanks to Harmony N Home and Super Fortune.

Poon booted home Harmony N Home on his last start at huge odds of $72 and it was a similar story in the second section of the Class Four Ma On Shan Handicap (1,400m) on Sunday, with a bold victory from the rear of the field at $57.

The Danny Shum Chap-shing-trained eight-year-old was waited with from gate 11 before surging for home down the outside of his rivals at the 400m marker and taking the lead in the closing stages.

Poon wasted no time returning to the winners’ enclosure, guiding $9.9 chance Super Fortune to success in the second section of the Yi Tung Shan Handicap.

After dictating proceedings at the head of the field, Poon narrowly prevailed aboard the Tony Cruz-trained galloper, with the fast-finishing Harold Win and Geneva breathing down his neck.

So far, So good

The first race of the season is the one everyone wants to win to bring good fortune for the rest of the campaign, and it was Chris So Wai-yin who was left celebrating when Go Go Go held on in the Class Five Kowloon Peak Handicap (1,650m).

After the five-year-old found one rival too strong in his past two outings, Go Go Go finally got his head in front at the all important moment, shedding the maiden tag at the 19th time of asking.

“It’s a great start and for the first horse of the season to go and win, I’m very happy,” So said. “The first starter of the season winning means at least there is something in the pockets.”

While Go Go Go filled the runner-up spot four times at Happy Valley last season, So believes a change in headgear worked the oracle.

“When the programme came out I asked Zac [Purton] to ride straight away and he said ‘OK’,” So said. “We kept him working in the summertime and the horse did well.

“We put the pacifiers on him because Zac said every time he got to the front, he wanted to stop. We tried something different this time and it worked. There was a good pace and he finished strong.”