Tommy Berry got on the winner's list but it appears not much will change in the Hong Kong jockey ranks if Sunday's season opener is any guide.
Brazilian master Joao Moreira simply picked up where he left off last season with wins in the first five races of Sunday's meeting at Sha Tin to continue his dominance of the riding ranks.
Moreira started the day with a win on Top Beautiful ($4.75) in the Harcourt Handicap (1000m) before adding victories aboard Je Pense ($5.50), Seasons Bloom ($4), Household King ($2.25 fav) and Yourthewonforme ($2.50 fav).
Seasons Bloom provided last season's premier rider with his first feature success of the new campaign in the Chief Executive's Cup (1200m) but trainer Danny Shum told the Hong Kong Jockey Club the five-year-old would measure up on Hong Kong international day in December.
"He's a miler and that's where we're aiming, the international Mile in December," Shum said. "He'll run next on 1 October, in the race over 1400 (metres)."
Berry was successful aboard Hair Trigger in the Class 3 Cotton Tree Handicap at his first outing as the retained rider for the John Moore stable.
Chad Schofield was also a winner in the last race of the day on the Richard Gibson-trained Rattan in the Garden Road Handicap (1400m).
Sunday's Hong Kong season opener produced record first-day turnover of more than $HK1.294 billion with more than 66,000 punters on track for the meeting.
The turnover record represented a 6.5 percent jump on last year's figure.
