Tomodachi Kokoroe will be set on a course towards December’s Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) after the red-hot speedster pulled off a gutsy victory at Sha Tin on Sunday.

While the seven-year-old’s last-start success in a time of 1:07.76 featured more than a flash of brilliance, the gelding was forced to dig deep to make it two wins on the trot.

Set the task of carrying 133lb from gate 11 in the Class Two Shing Mun Handicap (1,200m), Tomodachi Kokoroe was caught three wide without cover for the duration but he still found enough late to see off Lady’s Choice by a neck.

“It’s not bad when they carry the grandstand and go via the Cape [and still win]. That was a very good win and he’ll go into the lead-up races to the Hong Kong Sprint,” said Hayes.

After receiving a 10-point hit for his victory last month, the 94-rated Tomodachi Kokoroe could find himself on a mark of exactly 100 after Sunday’s effort.

His next challenge will come in the form of the Group Two Premier Bowl (1,200m) at Sha Tin on October 26.

Likely to be sitting atop Tomodachi Kokoroe for that contest is jockey Harry Bentley, who has been aboard for both of the galloper’s victories so far this season.

Both of those successes have come at Class Two level and Bentley has now scooped four of the six Class Two races so far this season.

“It was a great performance. He had to raise his game, obviously, with the 10-pound hike,” said Bentley.

“He jumped really well and I was following Baby Crystal across and I thought I was going to be in the one-back, one-off position, but then I think it was Lady’s Choice hanging out, so it didn’t make my life too easy with that and I had to go a little bit wider than ideal.

“But credit to the horse, he really dug deep and stuck his head out in that last 100m. Great training performance and the horse is trying extremely hard.”

Hayes maintained his second placing in the trainers’ premiership thanks to the victory of Tomodachi Kokoroe, with championship leader Mark Newnham maintaining his two-win buffer thanks to the victory of Bull Attitude in the Class Four Sham Tseng Handicap (1,600m).

Brown-lamped in betting to jump $7.1 under Lyle Hewitson, Bull Attitude travelled nicely in midfield on the rail before coming out around one horse in the straight and then sliding straight back up the rail to claim Happy Universe and Richard Kingscote and salute by half a length.

“He’s been working hard from wide gates and just using too much energy, so today from gate two he was always going to get a nice run,” said trainer Mark Newnham after moving to 11 wins for the campaign.

“I spoke with Lyle beforehand and said ‘if you can give him a bit of confidence through the race, he’ll finish strongly for you’ and horse and jockey did a good job.

“I think he’ll even be able to run further in time, but at the moment on his rating, he’ll be effective at 1,650m [at Happy Valley] or 1,600m here.”