For the second week running Charles Perkins has dominated the results at Taipa with a winning treble on the Friday night sand program.

Perkins rode three of the six winners on the card with the remaining three races taken out by Peter Ho with two wins, and reigning champion jockey Luis Corrales with one winner.

The three riders are in a great battle for championship honors and have forged well clear of the pack.

However Perkins has his premiership chances in jeopardy as he was hit with a four day careless riding suspension for causing interference to Andrew Calder’s mount, the odds on favorite Fredda Star in the Maiden Handicap over 1350 metres.

Perkins went on to win the race on the Tony Fung trained Fortune Target.

The young Frenchman has ridden eight winners in the past week and was rapidly closing the gap on premiership leader Luis Corrales.

Corrales is on 58 winners holding an eight win lead over Ho and Perkins, who are both on 50 wins apiece.

Next best is Ryan Curatolo and Ruben Silvera who are both on 21 victories.

The night started for Perkins with his win on Fortune Target a six year old mare that finally broke her maiden status at her 15th race start.

Fortune Target a daughter of the Irish bred stallion Castledale out of the Lord Ballina mare El Diablo, was imported to Macau back in 2011 but has been lightly raced due to soundness problems.

The mare had picked up six minor placings along the way with Friday’s win a just reward for owner Mr. Lee Yu Leung’s perseverance.

The eight year old Australian import Turquoise Song was the second of Perkin’s winners when he came with a nicely timed run to win the Class 3 & 4 over 1700 metres.

Turquoise Song has been a good money-spinner for his owners Mr. and Mrs. Tang Hing Keung and while Friday’s win was just his third in Macau, the gelding has however placed 28 times and is now over the $2 million mark in earnings.

The gelding had lost form for a time early this season but has become a rejuvenated horse since joining trainer Stephen Choi’s yard.

The promising Hussonet gelding True Brother rounded out Perkins night with a strong win in the Class 3 & 4 over 1050 metres to give trainer Tony Fung a winning double on the night.

It was win number three for True Brother who like most of the Hussonet breed shows a real liking for the all weather surface, and judging by the win will continue to rise up in the grades.

Peter Ho was successful in the first of the night board the William Lai prepared Ratnaraj who simply bolted away with the Class 5 & 6 over 1050 metres.

It’s been a long while coming for the five year old son Ishiguru (USA) who finally broke through for owner Mr. King Ho after 20 attempts.

That said the win was full of authority and where he is still at the ratings will pick up a couple more in the lower grades before the handicapper catches up with him.

Power Speedy was the second of Ho’s winners when he gave the UK import a lovely ride off the speed before bursting out of the pack to win the last of the night the Class 2 & 3 over 1500 metres.

The five year old Irish bred gelding won two races at Wolverhampton in the UK in good fashion prior to coming to Macau, and has always displayed plenty of talent but is another that has been plagued by soundness issues.

Trainer Louis Ho has the gelding in great shape at the present with Friday’s effort his second win from his last four starts.

Sole winner for the night for Luis Corrales was Patrick Lee’s five year old gelding Sweet Moment who made it back to back wins when he easily accounted for his opposition in the Class 3 & 4 over 1050 metres.

Peter Ho like Charles Perkins has spent plenty of time this season on the sidelines with suspensions, with a total of 12 race days lost due to careless riding charges.

Perkins had spent 10 days sidelined prior to Friday night’s infringement and with 16 meetings remaining his four day ban may well seal his fate as far as winning the title goes.

That said he does have the best strike rate with 21% winning average and a place strike of 53%, so it would not be an impossible task if he can manage to avoid the Stewards Room from here on.

Both Perkins and Ho have done a superb job to reel Corrales in after so much time lost, but one thing Corrales has going for him is that he rarely spends anytime on the bench with careless riding charges.