French jockey Charles Perkins got the Year Of The Monkey off to a great start with brilliant riding over the weekend that saw him win five races including Saturday’s feature Macau Golden Group Fat Choy Cup.

The young Frenchman was in superb form and started his weekend off on Friday night with a win on Florence Baby for his former master K H Leong in the 0 to 55 Special Conditions race over 1500 metres on the sand.

The improving Macau Spring also prepared by K H Leong gave the pair a double for the night when he powered home off a solid pace to win the Class 3 & 4 over 1350 metres.

It was Saturday however that belonged to Perkins, winning three of the seven races with some fine displays of riding.

Lucky Today a compact looking son of Mastercraftsman justified his solid support when he powered home via the rails to win the Prosperity Handicap over 1200 metres to bring Perkin’s tally to three for the weekend.

Prepared by Tony Fung, Lucky Today has shown promise from day one and was sent out favorite on debut back in January, but found the testing heavy conditions beyond him on the day.

With Saturday’s track coming up yielding to soft and with a glorious sunny afternoon to help improve things as the day progressed, the four year gelding relished the better ground for a nice win.

The Macau Golden Group Fat Choy Cup is considered by the locals as one the luckiest events on the MJC racing calendar.

The improving track conditions played right into the hands of Golden Double who took out the main event per medium of a lovely ride by Perkins again for Tony Fung.

Golden Double has been plagued by heavy tracks for some time and that had allowed the gelding to go down significantly in the ratings.

In fact the seven year old had not won a race since February of last year at the very same Chinese New Year race day.

Perkins last win for the weekend was the Geoff Allendorf trained Magician Code in the Good Fortune Handicap over 1500 metres.

The weekend was also kind to Tony Fung. As well as his two winners on Saturday he took out the Class 3 over 1050 metres on Friday night with Brave Rhino.

Fung wisely utilized the 10 pounds claim of Calvin Wong which let him into the race well favored in the ratings and the claimer didn’t let anyone down producing a lovely rails hugging ride to win running away.

Allendorf Chasing Another Guineas

Geoff Allendorf has set his sights on the Macau Guineas with his highly promising four year old Macau Lightning following his impressive win in the Fay Choy Plate on Saturday.

The son of Magic Albert made it three wins on end per medium of a perfect ten ride from New Zealander Andrew Calder, who was in a difficult position at the six hundred on the back of runners going nowhere.

Calder who is noted for his patience found a path from gate 13 to be back and against the rails at the eight hundred metre corner, but behind runners that were not going to bring him into the race.

His patience paid off when he got up the inside of both Fortune Money and then Great China as they swept around the bend for home. With a wall of five horses in front of him at the two hundred Calder was able to step around the tiring Power Sequalo before zipping back to the fence to power through for a good win.

“That was a lovely ride by Andrew (Calder) and a good win.” Allendorf said.

“He just keeps rising up to the mark and he has earned a crack at the race like the Guineas on that win.”

Allendorf won the Macau Guineas back in 2008 with Clubhouse who went onto run second to Farson in the Derby of the same year.

“He is a lovely relaxed horse and I told Geoff he is crying out for 1500 metres.” Andrew Calder added.

Macau Lightning is raced by well known Queensland racing personality Doug Forbes who has been racing horses in Macau since his earlier association here with Barry Baldwin going back some 15 years now.

The win by Macau Lightning gave Allendorf a double for the day with Magician Code winning the previous the Good Fortune Handicap over 1500 metres off a nice Charles Perkins ride.

“He has not been suited by the wet tracks of late and even today I thought it might have been too wet for him.” Geoff Allendorf said after the win.

“The track picked up a lot with the warm afternoon and that’s helped and a good ride.”

Perkins found the rail from barrier seven and only came off the fence to challenge the leader Great River who did a super job to battle on stoutly and only go down by a head, after setting a solid tempo then lurching around in the straight like drunken sailor under hard riding.

The days’ other feature the Macau Golden Group Fat Choy Bowl over 1700 metres was won in good fashion by the Joe Lau trained Basement.

Ridden by Luis Corrales Basement overcame a nightmare run in the race to sweep down the outside to win running away from Best Season (David Chong), who saved an enormous of ground via the rail, with Elderly Paradise ( Charles Perkins) back in third.