Benno Yung Tin-pang was back at the races for the first time this season on Sunday, with the 65-year-old “progressing well” as he recovers from the serious illness that he has been battling for much of 2024.

Yung has been absent from the racecourse since the end of last season and said he was delighted to return to Sha Tin to watch his five-strong squad.

“I’m doing well and it’s great to be back,” Yung said. “It’s been a bit too boring [not being at the track].”

While Yung plans to attend more race meetings as he continues his recovery, he will largely be working from home for the time being.

“So far I’ve been progressing well and physically I’m sound,” Yung said. “Of course I’m not 100 per cent and hopefully – touch wood – everything will keep improving.

“I’ll try and be at the racecourse more, but I need to avoid big social gatherings for the moment.

“Also, at this moment there is a lot of construction going on near my stable, so I’ll just be working from home.”

The stable failed to return a winner on Sunday and will hope for a change of fortune heading into December, with the yard celebrating only one success from 79 runners so far this campaign.

Goliath solid in Japan Cup

The Jockey Club remains hopeful French star Goliath will line up at the Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) after his sixth in Sunday’s Group One Japan Cup (2,400m) at Tokyo racecourse.

Ridden by Christophe Soumillon, the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained Goliath was the first international raider home behind brilliant winner Do Deuce.

While the door remains open for him to contest the Group One Hong Kong Vase (2,400m) on December 8, connections of German stayer Fantastic Moon all but ruled out a trip to Hong Kong after he ran 11th in the Japan Cup.

“We wanted a fast race,” trainer Sarah Steinberg told the Galopp Online website.

“Fantastic Moon came out of the race well, almost as if he hadn’t run a race. I don’t think he’ll go to Hong Kong, the owners probably wouldn’t want that. But that’s up to the owners to decide.”

Do Deuce’s barnstorming win sealed superstar James McDonald’s second Longines World’s Best Jockey title.

Ryan Moore needed to win the Japan Cup on Auguste Rodin to overtake McDonald for the 2024 crown, but the Aidan O’Brien-trained colt could only manage eighth on the final start of his career.

From the world’s top 100 Group One features, McDonald claimed the title with 160 points ahead of Moore on 150.

“It’s a huge honour and it’s just reflective of all the good horses I’ve ridden – I could almost name it the Romantic Warrior Award, to be honest with you, because he was such a huge contributor,” said McDonald, who also won the World’s Best Jockey crown in 2022.

“He’s obviously a world champion in his own right, so you have to be part of those sort of horses – the Via Sistinas of the world.

“Those two horses [Romantic Warrior and Via Sistina] were huge contributors and it’s a huge honour. I’m very proud of my year.”

Thirty minutes after sealing the award, McDonald was in the winners’ enclosure at Sha Tin when he booted home Self Improvement in the Class Three Chevalier Insurance Handicap (1,200m).

The Manfred Man Ka-leung-trained gelding bagged his third victory on the dirt with a resounding one-and-three-quarter-length success.

McDonald later made it his third double from as many meetings since returning to Hong Kong, guiding David Eustace’s Swift Ascend to victory in the Class Three Chevalier Property Management Handicap (1,200m).

Good luck charm

The victory of Charming Legend provided a timely winner for Boniface Ho Ka-kui, with the prominent owner hosting Sydney trainer Chris Waller at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Charming Legend got off the mark at the first time of asking for trainer Danny Shum Chap-shing with a promising victory in the Class Three Chevalier Property Development Handicap (1,400m).

A two-time victor from as many starts during his pre-import career in Australia, Charming Legend was prominent throughout under Zac Purton and took up the lead 150m from home before edging clear of his rivals in the closing stages.

Waller was seen celebrating with Purton and Ho in the winners’ enclosure after the Class Three contest, with Charming Legend potentially heading for a tilt at the Classic Series.

He was one of a few four-year-olds that impressed on Sunday, with the Caspar Fownes-trained Sky Trust taking out the finale, the Class Three Chevalier Aluminium Engineering Handicap (1,600m).