| Leading Brisbane jockey Jim
Byrne has made a dynamic start to his riding contract in Macau with a winning double at
his first meeting there last night. Byrne's first
success came at his first ride when Double Merit scored a fighting half length win in the
Dumbarton Handicap over 1500 metres.
Double Merit and Byrne were able to hold out John Didham
and his mount Yantse Warrior in the second race on the card. Double Merit is trained by
former Queenslander Barry Baldwin, a winner of the training premiership in Macau last
year. This season Baldwin is in third place.
The second leg of the winning double was completed when
Gold Gaga scored a narrow win over Lucky Bo-Bo in the second division of the Arbroath
Handicap over 1000 metres.
The first division of the Arborath Handicap also fell to an
Aussie rider. Danny Brereton booted home Tai Hing Treasure to a comprehensive 1 3/4 length
win earlier in the night.
Gunning for a unique treble Byrne came close to a third win
when the aptly named Top Trio ran third in the eighth race on the program.
As well as his winner Brereton also had a second and third
placing on the ten event card. John Didham also finished with a second and third, while
Nathan Day rode one third placegetter. |
