In front of a grandstand packed to the rafters, Neil Callan punched the air in celebration of a top level triumph. The noise from the Hong Kong crowd, bigger than Gold Cup day at Cheltenham, is something the 41-year-old rider of Blazing Speed will not forget in a hurry.
The QEII Cup win is five years ago this weekend, a coronavirus-free time when race fans numbering 85,000 could flock to Sha Tin in their droves.
The very same stands will be empty for Sunday’s FWD Champions Day card, without any semblance of an international competitor in the stalls.
As they burst open, right in front of the enclosures, Callan will put his faith in longshot Eagle Way up against 'banker' Exultant.