He was smarting early on Sunday’s Sha Tin card but trainer David Hayes left with a spring in his step after continuing his good form with a double.

Hayes felt he could have been a winner in the afternoon’s opening contest, if not for Circuit Jolly reacting to a mark on the track near the 170m before falling a neck short of a debut victory.

After assuming the lead out of the gates and putting a couple of lengths on his rivals in the straight, the three-year-old son of Ten Sovereigns joined the string of gallopers to have jumped over a strip in the turf left by the off-season installation of an irrigation pipe.

“Zac [Purton] thought the horse was in a great rhythm, but he lost his rhythm and that lost the race,” Hayes said after Circuit Jolly was grabbed in the final strides of Sunday’s Class Four Swimming Handicap (1,200m) by Patch Of Cosmo and Juneau Pride.

“He went sideways and jumped. He was leading and lost all his momentum.

“The horses don’t see a crossing in Hong Kong. In Australia they see crossings all the time. Here it’s an unusual thing. Especially for a first starter when they’re leading – they haven’t seen it.”

Jockey Club head of race day operations Stephen Higgins confirmed there have been no safety concerns around the mark on the track, and that the overseeding of winter grass in the coming weeks should eradicate the issue.

Hayes shrugged off his early disappointment with wins from Awesome Treasure and Stellar Swift, with the former doing it easily under Britney Wong Po-ni and the latter requiring an inch-perfect Hugh Bowman steer to grab victory late.

Awesome Treasure easily assumed the early lead from barrier 10 in the Class Four Fencing Handicap (1,200m), found himself with company to his outside in the mid-stages of the race before pulling away again in the home straight to salute by two and a quarter lengths.

“He’s the perfect horse for Britney. [He] jumps fast and then she was sensible,” Hayes said after Awesome Treasure landed his third win at start 32.

“She got attacked in the middle [stages], but didn’t panic and the horse is honest and always fights. I was thrilled.

“I think he’ll win in Class Three because he’s been so close. I call it ‘Dad’s army’. This season, for some reason, all my old horses are running really well.”

Wong was thrilled to land her third Hong Kong winner and first for Hayes.

“It’s really amazing for me because Mr Hayes has offered me a couple of mounts but I couldn’t take them because I had to ride a horse for my boss [David Hall] or I had already taken another ride,” Wong said.

“I’m so thankful that Mr Hayes kept offering me rides and this horse is such a straightforward ride, a very honest boy. He’d been running very close this season and that means he tries hard. It was an awesome win.”

Bowman earned Hayes’ praise after working through traffic aboard Stellar Swift to grab Jubilant Winner late in the Class Four Rowing And Table Tennis Handicap (1,400m).

“Congratulations to Bowman. Very good ride,” said Hayes. “I think later in the season a mile will be very good for him and he works like he will have no trouble in Class Three.”

Bowman finished the day with a double of his own after earlier taking out the Class Four Sailing Handicap (1,600m) aboard Family Jewel.