Storm Rider capitalised on a perfect ride by Karis Teetan and light weight to bag a career-best victory in Thursday’s Group Three Chinese Club Challenge Cup (1,400m) at Sha Tin.

Racing four points out of the handicap in his Group race debut, the consistent five-year-old was brown-lamped from $18 to $9.7 late and lifted when it mattered most to prevail in a thrilling three-way finish.

Teetan secured his fourth triumph in the New Year’s Day feature since 2018 when Storm Rider won by a short head from Dancing Code, who was brave in defeat after crossing from gate 12 to lead.

Patch Of Theta, who Teetan guided to victory in last year’s Chinese Club Challenge Cup, rocketed home from last at the top of the straight to run a neck third.

Despite facing the biggest test of his career, Storm Rider was poised to strike on the 115lb in the eyes of his trainer David Hayes.

“I just think he’s a horse that has got the potential to go above 100 [rating points] and he was beautifully rated for his ability,” Hayes said of Storm Rider, whose rating will shoot up from 86 after the feature triumph.

“My only concern was the barrier [nine] but Karis rode such a great race, it took the barrier out of that. Once he got that nice run, he was always going to be hard to beat with that light weight.

“We’ve been a little bit quiet [recently] so it was good to get the big win.”

Teetan pushed Storm Rider forward to settle in the perfect spot one off the fence in fifth and he kept on strongly late.

“It’s a good start to the new year. His trial last week was a really good trial. Last start, he just pulled too hard and he still ran home,” Teetan said.

“The horse was coming to the races today with good form and David was very bullish that the horse could run well today.

“He said to me ‘don’t take this horse back today, go forward and make our own luck’ so full credit to David and his team. The horse was very well.”

After improving his record to five wins from 27 starts, Storm Rider will be set for upcoming 1,400m races including a Class One on February 1 and potentially the Group One Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup on February 22.

“His record’s good [at 1,400m]. It’s just the way the programme has been for him going through the classes that we’ve targeted him at the Valley,” Hayes said.

“But now we can keep him at 1,400m and there’s a nice group of races for him going forward.”

Hayes was pleased with Tomodachi Kokoroe’s fifth under top weight of 135lb in the Chinese Club Challenge Cup, while the three leading chances in the market failed to fire.

Packing Hermod, the $4.1 favourite, failed to run on from midfield when a disappointing ninth, Light Years Charm ($4.8) also battled in eighth and Aeris Nova, who was backed into $4.9, could only manage seventh.

Elsewhere on Thursday’s card, Mark Newnham took the trainers’ championship lead back from Caspar Fownes after striking in the first section of the Class Three Cha Kwo Ling Handicap (1,200m) with Infinite Resolve.

The Australian import bagged his first local win at start seven when he won easily by a length and a quarter under Hugh Bowman.

Newnham said Infinite Resolve will step up to 1,400m for his next start before a possible crack at next month’s Classic Mile.

Newnham and Fownes are tied on 27 wins but the former has the advantage with one more second placing than his rival.