Macau’s newest trainer Victor Chan Chun Fai is wasting no time making his mark at Taipa.

Chan led in his third winner at Taipa on Friday night when Yue Sing showed plenty of fight under jockey Roger Yu to win the Class 3 & 4 over 1200m.

Chan has only had 18 runners since he commenced operations on December 23.

His present win strike rate of 17% and place rate of 33% is better then leading trainer Gary Moore who has a 16% win rate and a 30% place strike.

A former Hong Kong apprentice who rode over 100 winners whilst under the care of champion trainer John Moore, Chan moved to Macau to ride in the early 2000s and rode with some success in the enclave before retiring.

He was granted an assistant trainer licence in 2004 and after a number of years as an assistant with Craig Marshall, Y T Lam and more recently K C Chong, Chan was granted a license in his own right late last year.

Chan has 18 horses in his yard at present with two more on the way. The bulk of these are lightly

Yue Sing was Chan’s sole runner on Friday night and paid a whopping $568 for the win when he downed the odds on favorite Captain Sunshine (Andy Helfenbein) by a half length, with a big space back to Choirunhangtung (Martin Cangas) in third.

The win was no surprise to Chan who had been quietly confident with Yue Sing at his debut run in Macau on February 23 when the gelding disappointed.

“I knew he had ability from his Australian form and he had pleased me in his work and his barrier trial so we expected him to be hard to beat at his first run.” Chan said.

“He seemed to resent other horses around him and he was disappointing. This time I told Roger (Yu) to lead or sit outside the leader where he would have a clear run.”

Yue Sing clocked a respectable 1.09.3 for the 1200 metres on a track rated as good, which was .06 faster then the earlier division taken out by China Cheers in 1.09.9

Har Har Money ridden by Horace Lam was Chan’s first winner on January 4th when he scraped home at odds of 12/1 to down the favorite Merry Way in a Class 3 contest on the all weather track.

Spring under the urgings of Lei Kin Meng gave Chan his second victory as trainer when he got home by a head at the huge odds of 58/1 from the race favorites Windicatorr and Master Chow on the sand on February 22.

DURSO ON A ROLL

After a late start to the season Brazilian rider Fausto Durso is quickly climbing up the premiership ladder in his quest for a third Macau Jockeys’ Title.

He added another three winners on Friday night's mixed turf and sand program.

Durso has been in super form since returning a little over three months ago and Friday’s treble took him to 16 winners and fourth spot on the rider’s standings.

Classical Music from the Stephen Chow stable was the first of Durso’s winners when he enjoyed the perfect ride from his nice draw to dart through the inside at the two hundred to win the Class 4 & 5 over 1500 metres from Windchaser (Charles Perkins) with Vigorous Momentum (Benny Woodworth) in third.

Sunshine Cheers from the K C Hoi yard was the second of Durso’s winners in the Class 3 over 1350 metres when he overcame a tough run in transit to score by a neck from the well backed At First Glance (Luis Jurado), with Dare T’Live (Charles Perkins) in third.

Durso rounded out his day with a big win in the last of the night on the Gary Moore prepared Geely Spirit who bolted away with the second division of the Class 3 over 1350 metres.

It was a classy performance by Geely Sprit who posted 1.21.1 for the journey which was 1.4 seconds faster then the other division won by Sunshine Cheers.

A son of Hussonet, Geely Spirit was a Gosford maiden winner in Australia for owner Mr. Gui Sheng Yue when prepared there by Grahame Begg.

The four year old chestnut gelding has now won two from four in Macau, both at 1350 metres on the all weather surface.

The win by Geely Spirit gave Gary Moore win number 36 for the season 15 ahead of Geoff Allendorf on 21 with Pat Lee in third spot on 20.

* Korean rider Moon Seyoung continued his good run with a win on Luen Yat Blackberry in the Class 2 & 3 over 1600 metres on the sand.

Moon Seyoung Korea’s Champion jockey has now posted 6 winners from his 60 rides in Macau and Friday night’s win took him to win number 780 from his total career rides of 4365.