Hugh Bowman produced a pair of outstanding rides to bag his first Sha Tin victories of the new season on Sunday, making light work of wide draws aboard Hakka Radiance and Solid Win.

The top Australian jockey got off to a perfect start in Sunday’s opener, helping Danny Shum Chap-shing’s Hakka Radiance break through for a maiden local win at start 25 in the Class Five Kowloon Tsai Handicap (1,800m).

Set a task from barrier eight in the field of 10, Bowman sent the British import forward to eventually settle outside leader Golden Fairy before taking control early in the straight.

He stayed on strongly on the yielding track to deny a fast-finishing Yeaboi by half a length, improving sharply on his first-up 11th over 1,600m two weeks earlier.

“Hakka Radiance, I didn’t mind that he drew wide because he has a tendency to get keen and I was able to get him into a nice flowing rhythm and he appreciated the softer conditions, too,” Bowman said.

“He really did let go on that softer ground but it was vital the fact he was able to get into a good consistent gait throughout the race and that enabled him to go to the line.”

A pre-import winner on Chelmsford’s Polytrack when known as Tempered Soul, Hakka Radiance had managed just five placings and was a beaten favourite several times before Sunday’s breakthrough result.

Bowman sealed his brace with a patient ride on Solid Win, who rocketed home from last to claim the Class Four Kowloon Bay Handicap (1,400m).

The Ricky Yiu Poon-fai-trained gelding jumped from gate 12 and launched a booming run down the outside to hit the front 200m out.

The Heir also ran on strongly to loom as a big danger, but Solid Win responded well to account for that galloper by a length.

Bling Bling Genius, who was spectacularly brown-lamped in betting from $33 to $6.9, was a distant third.

“I didn’t expect to be quite so far back but if I didn’t do that, I was going to be wide and covering a lot of ground and that wasn’t going to help me either. I was dictated to by Zac [Purton on Beauty Glory] in the early and middle stages,” Bowman said.

“[Solid Win] got into a really good rhythm and when he started to come into it, he picked up with quite a bit of purpose and I went out to the middle of the track where there was some fresh ground – that wasn’t the plan, it just unfolded – and he went to the line with a bit of authority. So two good winners.”

Bowman delivered Yiu his first triumph of the season and jumped to second in the jockeys’ championship behind Purton (seven wins), adding the two victories to his three at Happy Valley this term.