| With Manoel Nunes taking up a six month contract in Singapore the Macau Jockeys’ Title is up for grabs with Louis Corrales emerging as a prime contender.
A winning treble on Friday night has seen the Panamanian rider move into a clear second behind Manoel Nunes who for the present holds pride of place on 38 winners.
Corrales now on 21 victories is five ahead of Filipino horseman Martin Cangas (16) with apprentice Frankie Choi next on 14 just ahead of Stanley Chin on 13.
Corrales three winners were The Tornado for Patrick Lee, Voguish for Tony Fung (Class 5) and Haayil Shadow (Class 3 & 4) for W T Lai.
A product of the MJC’s Apprentice School, Corrales dominated the apprentice ranks in the 1999 and 2000 racing seasons. He was runner up to Irishman Robbie Burke in 2002, and again to South African Gavan Van Zyl in 2003, and then placed third behind Brazilian Fausto Durso in the 2008 season.
Two time Macau Champion Fausto Durso would have been most peoples choice as successor to the crown given that he has chased Nunes home in just about every other year, but with a late start to the season Durso on 4 winners is giving away a huge start to Corrales, albeit with still over seven months to the end of the season.
Stanley Chin who is yet to win a Macau title emerges as the next leading contender and is doing the bulk of the riding for the powerful Gary Moore yard so has a real chance this season to snare his first title.
Martin Cangas is off to a great start to the season and whist he will not have the support of Corrales, Durso and Chin, Cangas is riding well and is a legitimate chance of finishing in the top four.
The dark horse may well apprentice Charles Perkins who is back after lengthy spell through injury.
With four winners from as many meetings back in the saddle, Perkins did a remarkable job in his first season winning 28 races from 148 rides in under six months of riding, giving him a strike rate of 19% second only to Manoel Nunes.
Complications from a fall suffered in May have kept French born Perkins sidelined for the last four months but he is back riding with plenty of confidence again, and is capable of giving the others a run for their money.
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