A perfect front running ride by German jockey Andy Helfenbein paved the way for the Geoff Allendorf trained Lucky And Wealthy to win Sunday’s Group 1 Macau Derby at Taipa.

Helfenbein took control of the race soon after the start and rated Lucky And Wealthy to nicety before being tested coming to the turn by race favorite Master Of Puppets.

With anyone of five horses looking a real chance at the two hundred, Lucky And Wealthy under strong riding from Helfenbein just kept finding and was drawing away at the line to win by two and a half lengths from Luen Yat Blackberry (Craig Grylls), with Wonder Mossman (Peter Ho) a neck away in third.

Allendorf saddled up three runners in the Derby with the other two being King Creole (7th) and Energy Gladiator (14th), but Lucky And Wealthy was always the stables prime contender.

Sunday’s win was the culmination of 12 months of patience and careful planning with the Ausyralian-bred son of Strada.

“He’s such an honest horse and every time the bar lifts he rises to meet it. He’s been like that from day one.” Allendorf said.

“Today was his first run over the distance but Andy (Helfenbein) gave him a lovely ride to see the trip out well.”

“It’s a great result for the owners who have been so patient and let me stop racing him back in April last year to get him ready for this race.”

Allendorf spelled Lucky And Wealthy after his second in the Listed Lisboa Juvenile Challenge on Derby day last year with his sole aim the Derby.

The gelding returned to racing in September winning two on the trot and emerged as a serious Derby contender with an all the way win in the Group 3 Derby Prelude in late March.

The gelding was a $A14,000 purchase at the 2010 Magic Millions Queensland Horses In Training Sale and came to Allendorf’s stables as an unraced griffin on a rating of 38.

After Sundays win he sits on a mark of 100, with nine wins and five second placed efforts from his 20 starts that have earned connections $HK3,321,500 in prizemoney.

Captain Sunshine gave the stable a double for the afternoon when he saluted off a nicely judged ride by Andrew Calder in the last of the day the Ponte 16 Race over 1350 metres.

Allendorf carved out an illustrious career as a jockey in Sydney before spending three seasons in Hong Kong.

One of the pioneers of Macau racing from the opening days back in 1989, Allendorf was a three time champion rider in the enclave before hanging up his saddle in 1999.

Originally kicking off as an assistant trainer for Russell Cameron in 2003, Allendorf was granted his trainer’s license in 2005.

Since then Allendorf has established himself as one of Macau’s leading and most consistent trainers with over 220 winners to his credit.