Maxime Guyon – un, deux, trois

This column usually concentrates on the Australian connection in Hong Kong and Singapore racing, and will get to it eventually.

The headline today, however, must be on the “bright young thing” of European and Hong Kong racing, Frenchman Maxime Guyon, who bowed out of a short stint with a treble at Sha Tin yesterday that included his first Group 1 in Honkers, the $HK6 million (about $760,000) Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) on Ambitious Dragon for South African Tony Millard.

Guyon (21) appears to be the next Christophe Soumillon or the new Frankie Dettori, a talent to hang a hat on wherever he rides, and to attract plenty of publicity.

Originally, there were complaints about how he had a manager to get him rides, something Hong Kong does not allow – Guyon was a special case as the Hong Kong Jockey Club said his man was there as a translator because the young jock had no English, the language the business of racing is conducted in.

That controversy aside, Guyon enjoyed a fruitful ride and will be welcomed back at the same time next year for another stint during the European winter.

In three months he had 14 winners, with 24 seconds and 15 thirds, from 167 rides.

Before going to Hong Kong he had 345 wins, with five at Group 1, from 3100 rides.

Guyon, on Ambitious Dragon, beat home a trio of Australians – Brett Prebble on Lucky Nine, Zac Purton on Let Me Handle It and Darren Beadman on Xtension – and the horse now is favourite to win the Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on March 20. Guyon will make a flying visit to ride Ambitious Dragon (b g 4, Pins-Golden Gamble (NZ), by Oregon (USA)).

With more than four months to go in the Hong Kong season, 10-times champion South African Douglas Whyte (52) has a winning lead in the jockeys’ premiership from Beadman (35), Prebble (33) and Purton (26). Australian John Moore (42) is seven wins clear on top of the trainers’ list.

IN SINGAPORE, boom horse Better Than Ever returned from a spell to win the Group 3 Three Rings Trophy (1400m) at Kranji yesterday and make it 13 wins from 14 starts, the only loss a sub-standard 12th of 15 over 2200m on a bog track in mid-November.

Trainer Laurie Laxon is aiming Better Than Ever (b g 4, French Deputy (USA)-Songfest, by Unbridled’s Song (USA)) at the $5 million Group 1 Dubai Duty Free (1800m) at Meydan on March 26.

Jockey Saimee Jumaat said: “This race was the perfect prep race for his next destination. I have no doubt he can measure up as we all know he’s a world-class horse.”

Laxon (17 wins) leads the Singapore trainers’ premiership from fellow New Zealanders Steve Gray and Mark Walker (11). Don Baertshiger heads the Australians with eight wins from last year’s champion Steven Burridge, Michael Freedman and Cliff Brown (all on 7).

Australian Vlad Duric is top jockey with 23 wins from Brazilian Joao Moreira (15) and Saimee (11). Other Australians near the top are Danny Beasley (10) and John Powell and Ronny Stewart (both 9). The Singapore season runs until the end of the year.

Photo: Maxime Guyon winning on Ambitious Dragon at Sha Tin on Sunday.