THERE were two Irish-bred winners on the Sha Tin undercard last Sunday.

Citron Spirit, a five-year-old son of Invincible Spirit, won a one-mile handicap. He was previously trained in France and was bought privately by current connections for €450,000 at the end of his two-year-old career.

The Irish-bred Eastern Express, a five-year-old son of Fastnet Rock, also won a one-mile handicap last Sunday. Bred by Kevin Molloy, he was sold as a yearling at Tattersalls for 150,000gns by Paddy Kelly’s Ballybin Stud and was a leading Hong Kong Derby contender last year.

The second most valuable race on the card was the Group 3 Queen Mother Cup over a mile and a half and jockey Joao Moreira was again on board the winner, the Australian-bred five-year-old Eagle Way.

Trained locally by John Moore, Eagle Way may have booked himself a ticket back to his native Australia later in the year with this success.

Eagle Way originally raced down under and won the Group 1 Queensland Derby over a mile and a half last June.

He now remains unbeaten at a mile and a half having edged clear of stable companion Helene Charisma (won the Grand Prix de Paris when named Mont Ormel) to win by three-quarters of a length.

Both the first two home are likely to go for the Chartered Champions & Chater Cup, Hong Kong’s final Group 1 of the season, on May 28th. Later in the year, the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups could be on their agendas.

Moore said: “They are the type of horses that could be Melbourne-bound because they’re dead-set mile-and-half to two-mile horses.”

Back in thid place last Sunday came Gold Mount, winner of the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot last year for trainer Alan King when named Primitivo. He is a four-year-old son of Excellent Art.