He might have won the trainer challenge, but David Hayes could well have been the unluckiest man at Happy Valley on Sunday.

The Australian handler had high hopes of converting a strong team of eight runners to winners but he left empty-handed after having to endure five seconds.

Red Majesty and Lucky Encounter were both beaten by the barest of margins when going down by a nose, Allgreektome was run down by a neck, Romantic Son fell half a length short in his Hong Kong debut and Young Horizon was a length and a quarter adrift of Denfield.

Hayes’ frustration was only amplified after the photo finish of the final race took what seemed like an age to determine Copartner Prance had narrowly held off the fast-finishing Lucky Encounter.

Still, the 62-year-old managed to take home the trainer challenge with 30 points – six clear of David Eustace, who celebrated his first Hong Kong double.

Chung’s drought breaker

A frustrating start to the season took a positive turn for Angus Chung Yik-lai when he ended a streak of 67 rides without a win.

The reigning Tony Cruz Award winner landed his first success since booting home Team Happy on September 15 – his sole win of the campaign – when he guided Happy Tango to victory in Sunday’s Class Four Kwangtung Cup (1,000m).

After Chung lobbed Me Tsui Yu-sak’s Happy Tango in the perfect position one-out and one-back from barrier six, the nine-year-old responded strongly late to prevail in a tight three-way finish.

He beat Circuit Seven by a neck, with the fast-finishing Super Sixty a further neck behind in third.

While Chung’s start to the campaign hasn’t gone according to plan, the 28-year-old can count himself unlucky to not have added to his winning haul after racking up six seconds and as many thirds.

Hall’s Bright birthday

Sharpen Bright delivered David Hall the perfect present on his 61st birthday with a thrilling victory in Sunday’s Class Three Dongguan Handicap (1,800m).

Rising to Class Three level for the first time, the Redwood gelding settled second for Karis Teetan and rose to the occasion in the straight to beat Red Majesty by a nose.

Sharpen Bright won twice over 2,200m at the Valley last season and went one better after a first-up second to Happy Hero.

“We were looking for a present today and we got one, so a happy trainer for a happy birthday,” Hall said.

“[Sharpen Bright] was up in Class Three with a light weight [116 pounds], so the market was telling you he would be competitive, but he had to work for it and 1,800m is probably a bit short of his best trip.

“He was under the pump a long way out to quicken up and it was a good effort for him to stay on the way he did under a good, solid ride by Karis.”

Teetan bags Melbourne Cup ride

Teetan has been booked to ride Mostly Cloudy in the Group One Melbourne Cup (3,200m) as connections of record-breaking Cox Plate (2,040m) hero, Via Sistina, weigh up whether to run her in the Flemington feature.

After riding lightweight hopes Coco Sun and Evaporate in the Caulfield Cup (2,400m) and Cox Plate, respectively, in the past two weeks, Teetan will make another trip to Australia when he rides Mostly Cloudy at just 50kg (111 pounds).

Trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, Mostly Cloudy failed to handle a wet track when 12th in the Group Three Bart Cummings (2,500m) at Flemington last start.

The former European stayer is proven at the Melbourne Cup trip, having won up to 3,318m in Britain for former trainer Gemma Tutty and also running second in the Group Two Brisbane Cup (3,200m) in June.

Evaporate finished last of nine in Saturday’s Cox Plate, with Teetan’s best result from his three Moonee Valley rides a second aboard Red Hot Nicc in the opening race.

Meanwhile, Via Sistina could be in line to tackle Romantic Warrior in the Group One Hong Kong Cup (2,000m) in December after her incredible eight-length romp in the Cox Plate.

Trainer Chris Waller, owner Yuesheng Zhang and the Yulong Investments team are considering the Longines Hong Kong International Races, the Melbourne Cup or the Group One Champions Stakes (2,000m) at Flemington on November 9 for the star mare.

“Hong Kong is very much on the radar,” Yulong general manager Vin Cox told Racenet on Sunday.

“The boss [Mr Zhang] has got some strong connections in Hong Kong and throughout Asia. It’s important from that perspective, but equally so, the Melbourne Cup has some [importance] too.”

If Via Sistina makes the trip to Hong Kong, James McDonald would be in a difficult position choosing between her and champion galloper Romantic Warrior.