DOUGLAS Whyte and Brett Prebble, the two stars of last season's epic battle for the Hong Kong jockeys' championship, were the main attractions at the road show yesterday that set the scene for the season opener at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Ricky Yiu, trainer of Horse of the Year Sacred Kingdom and Champion Apprentice Keith Yeung made up a foursome which had fans queuing in droves for the subsequent autograph signing.

RACING writer, ALAN AITKEN, reports in the SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST that Chief steward Kim Kelly emerged unscathed from his first season in the hot seat - but he had his moments.

The end of April saw Kelly put to his sternest test, when the odds-on defeat of Collection in the QE II Cup brought a reflex-action outpouring of scorn from the betting public.

ALAN AITKEN reports in the SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST that in racing terms, the 2009-10 title was a race in which Whyte missed the jump, worked his way through the field, then took a severe check or two at the top of the straight, but finally arrived as the winner on an anti-climactic winless night.

ALAN AITKEN reports in the SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST Brett Prebble had nothing in return as Whyte slashed the Australian's championship lead back to four wins, seven days after Prebble's six at Happy Valley created history and looked to put the job beyond him.

AN inspired Brett Prebble rampaged through Happy Valley like a man clubbing baby seals yesterday as he shook the meeting by the neck to claim a unique piece of history for himself, a share of it for trainer Caspar Fownes and left Douglas Whyte's championship fightback a bloodied mess.

ALAN AITKEN reports in the SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST that Prebble became the first jockey to win six races on a single programme in Hong Kong's racing history, combining for five of them with Fownes, who landed one other to become only the second trainer ever to saddle up six winners.

An International Group 1 victory has again eluded local champion sprinter Rocket Man when Hong Kong visitor Green Birdie took out the $1 million KrisFlyer International Sprint over 1200m on Sunday.

The local champion was brave with his second placing behind the Hong Kong galloper but that elusive win at International Group 1 level still awaits.

HONG Kong Jockey Club stewards have cleared Darren Beadman's ride on Collection in the Audemars Piguet QE II Cup after concluding an adjourned inquiry by taking evidence from trainer John Moore.

Alan Aiken reports in the South China Morning Post that stewards investigated Beadman's riding of the odds-on favorite for the HK$14 million race, particularly over the final 100m.

JOCKEY Darren Beadman's ride on beaten odds-on favourite Collection in the Audemars Piguet QE II Cup in Hong Kong on Sunday faces further scrutiny after stewards opened then adjourned an inquiry which also revealed the star gelding had blood in the trachea after his final training gallop eight days before the race.

Alan Aiken reports in the South China Morning Post that after reviewing video replays of the meeting, chief steward Kim Kelly "believed it was appropriate to question Beadman regarding his ride, particularly over the final 100 metres".

THE evergreen Viva Pataca became the highest money earner in the history of Hong Kong racing when he scored a stunning win in the Audemars Piguet QEII Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday.

The win was an 18th career victory for the John Moore trained eight-year-old; his 13th win in Hong Kong; his 8th Group 1; his second in this race and took his total prize-money earnings to HK$80,232,500 eclipsing the HK$75,410,500 mark set by the 2005 APQEII cup winner Vengeance Of Rain.

A DISTINCT air of confidence mixed with a degree of guarded optimism pervaded the connections of the leading protagonists for this Sunday’s Audemars Piguet QEII Cup and Champions Mile after the barrier draws were revealed for the international Gr.1 double header.

Presvis, for example, the defending champion of APQEII Cup, is said to be in “mint condition” and “as good as last year” according to Charlie Henson, travelling head lad to trainer Luca Cumani, having this week touched down from Dubai.