Luke Ferraris rode a second winner this month at Happy Valley on Wednesday to make it 15 for the season and it put him in lone tenth place on the Hong Kong jockeys log.He was successful aboard the Jimmy Ting-trained SA-bred Smiling Time, a Gold Star Stud-bred six-year-old Oratorio gelding out of Jet Master mare Little Jet.It was a ride out of the top drawer.He relaxed the horse from the off in the 1650m event and allowed him to drop out before moving up into a one wide position, with cover, in fourth last place of the 12 horse field.However, just as they reached the final bend Ferraris drove his mount forward three wide and made up several places.This allowed him to turn for home with only about two lengths to make up on the leaders.It turned out to be masterful judgement because his mount got up by a short-head to convert Tote odds of HK$8.80.
Smiling Time was known as Viva Rio in SA.He won four races in SA for Glen Kotzen and was runner up in the Grade 1 Cape Guineas to Kilindini in December 2019.Ferraris ended last season with 20 wins for 14th place, so is on track for an improved performance in the notoriously competitive arena.
