SHEER DANZIG kept the Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy "in house" when he gained a last gasp victory in the £90,000 handicap at Sandown yesterday.

He realised a long held ambition for owner Hong Kong Jockey Club steward Ron Arculi and jockey Wendyll Woods, who returns to the colony next month, by snatching a short head verdict.

While a rainstorm raged over the track, the four year old, trained in Newmarket by Robert Armstrong, made up significant ground in the straight to catch Miss Universal in the last strides.

It guaranteed a free trip to the Far East for Armstrong and eased Woods's passage back to where he first made his name.

Woods rode with considerable success in Hong Kong, where he began as an apprentice, and has been granted another licence to rejoin his uncle, trainer Lawrie Fownes.

"I've always wanted to win this race. It's a dream come true just before I go back," he confessed.

"Sheer Danzig had several lengths to make up but if you keep at him he will always respond and I knew we had got up. This is like winning a major race.

Arculi, a lawyer by profession, sits on the Legislative Council in Hong Kong and makes occasional visits to England as the Hong Kong chairman of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. He also owned the colony's best racehorse River Verdon.

"It's not very often I get here to see one of my horses run, let alone win on a day the Jockey Club is sponsoring. I thought someone was going to shout fix!" he said.

"It wasn't easy for Robert to organise Sheer Danzig to run. But we targeted the race a couple of months back and he won by a thread, it was very close."

Woods features way down the jockeys' championship with 10 winners but at the top Pat Eddery, returning from a bout of flu, moved 11 ahead of Kieren Fallon with a double aboard Groom's Gordon in the HSBC Trophy and Clerkenwell, six length winner of the Sun Hung Kai Securities Maiden Stakes.

He was matched in the saddle by Jason Weaver who struck on Green Barries in the Sing Tao Trophy and Vax Lady, who captured the Listed Sino Group Dragon Trophy.

Weaver also picked up a four day suspension (July 15th to 8th) for careless riding on Green Barries.

But the impact was lessened by Vax Lady's head defeat of Compton Place in the five furlong sprint, boosting the form of Dazzle who contests next week's Cherry Hinton Stakes.

According to winning trainer John Spearing the rain did not help his filly's chances. "It was too soft for her but it was too far to go home and exercise her," he said.

"The rain just made it tiring. She will probably be entered in the Molecomb Stakes but will more likely run at Newmarket in a couple of weeks."

The stalls for the race were moved from the stands to the far side because of a false patch of ground inside the last furlong of the straight course.

But clerk of the course Andrew Cooper expects to place the stalls back on the stands' side today.

. Double Trigger looks set to race on in Europe after his trainer Mark Johnston revealed yesterday the five year old's proposed sale to the Middle East has fallen through.

It was thought the deal involving Double Trigger beaten a length and a half by Classic Cliche when attempting his second victory in the Ascot Gold Cup last month - would be completed soon after his defeat at the Royal Meeting.

But news of an injury to the chestnut's off fore forced the transaction, involving a move to Saudi Arabia, to be put on hold, and now it has been called off altogether.

. Saseedo shot to his third victory from four outings yesterday to vindicate trainer Bill O'Gorman's decision to switch from a tougher assignment at Newmarket next week.

Worried that the draw might count against his charge in the Bunbury Cup, O'Gorman instead pinpointed the Scottish Equitable/Jockeys Association Rated Handicap at Haydock Park.

O'Gorman's daughter Emma held up the 7 to 2 joint favourite before pouncing inside the final furlong for a two length defeat of Band On The Run.

Saseedo's only defeat in his last four races came when he had an unfavourable position in the Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot.

Saseedo who remains an entry for the Bunbury Cup but is most unlikely to run, according to O'Gorman.