A low draw for the Caspar Fownes-trained Grand Elite can help the three-year-old break his maiden status, and punters can look to him as a banker to help find a monster Triple Trio.
The TT jackpot jumps to a healthy HK$8.8 million tomorrow, with officials estimating a HK$13 million payout, and Grand Elite can kick things off by providing the safe pick in the opening leg.
An impressive runner-up effort on his Happy Valley debut last start showed the city track will suit Grand Elite, who was taken back from a wide gate but chimed in late with a strong run, only to be pipped by Diligent III.
The winner had got critical cover and a pull into the race from Grand Elite, who drops from gate eight to four, from where jockey Zac Purton, hungry after returning from a two-meeting suspension for his ride in that race, can find a more prominent position in the opening stages of the 1,650m Class Four.
His form might read like a back marker's, but Grand Elite's running position in his seven starts has been largely determined by barrier draw.
At his first three starts, he drew 11 and then the extreme outside (14) twice more at Sha Tin, and was positioned near the tail each time.