Hong Kong racing’s most prolific winner, Tony Cruz, celebrated his 1,000th Sha Tin victory when Circuit Stellar led all the way under Zac Purton to secure Sunday’s Class Two Belcher Bay Handicap (1,400m).

Circuit Stellar found the front for the first time since his Class Three triumph in October, and the pacesetting tactics Cruz and Purton adopted were instrumental in the trainer not only snapping his recent losing run but also joining John Moore (1,204) and John Size (1,104) as the only handlers whose Sha Tin successes are in four-digit numbers.

“We felt Ka Ying Master was the fastest horse, but we suspected he may not lead,” Cruz said following $1.85 favourite Circuit Stellar’s neck defeat of Winning Method. “We were prepared to lead the race. When we led the race, everything turned out good.”

Cruz’s gallopers had made him wait for his 1,000th Sha Tin win. The 66-year-old icon, whose combined tally of Hong Kong victories as a jockey (946) and a trainer (1,442) is an unparalleled 2,388, had not saddled a winner at the New Territories track since Five G Patch led a stable quinella on January 21.

Irrespective of racecourse, it had been a lean few weeks for Cruz – Circuit Stellar’s win ended the handler’s streak of 18 losses across both Happy Valley and Sha Tin – but the outcome of the Belcher Bay Handicap cheered up the all-time great.

“Sha Tin is one of the safest race tracks in the world. It’s the fairest track in the world. It’s the best track in the world because every horse gets a chance. It’s a good milestone, and I hope to train another thousand here, too,” said Cruz, who is midway through his 27th season as a handler.

Purton, whom Cruz booked to replace Vagner Borges as a consequence of Circuit Stellar’s incident-packed loss in the Class One Chinese New Year Cup (1,400m), took the Belcher Bay Handicap by the scruff of the neck, establishing control in the first 200m before stealing a cheap second sectional that was 0.53 seconds slower than standard time for the grade.

Circuit Stellar’s leisurely 22.23-second split from the 1,200m marker to the 800m pole enabled him to conserve sufficient energy to peel off two fast closing sectionals, pass the winning post first and secure his place in Cruz’s incredible story.

“He’s had an amazing career. He’s a legend of Hong Kong racing, really,” Purton said of Cruz. “He’s home-grown. He came through the Hong Kong Jockey Club Apprentice Jockeys’ School. He was champion jockey in Hong Kong and rode all over the world – for the queen and the Aga Khan – and won some big races.

“He then turned his hand to training, and he’s been equally impressive. He’s won every big race here and in every season, he’s right up the top echelon of the trainers. He’s very consistent and he always turns his horses out well. I enjoy riding for him.

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“The best way to sum him up is he’s the biggest personality and the biggest legend in Hong Kong.”

Six-time champion jockey Cruz is fourth in this term’s trainers’ premiership on 29 wins – six fewer than front runner Size (35) – as he seeks to add a third title to his 1999-2000 and 2004-05 trophies.