Twelve months ago Tony Cruz came to the Lion City expecting to win the Singapore Airlines International Cup with California Memory and things could not have gone more wrong, but the grey turns up with less pressure today after plenty of water has flowed under his bridge.
With a Hong Kong Gold Cup win and strong QE II Cup second as his lead-in in 2011, California Memory was the form horse for Singapore's big event and it all went awry - forced into the unfamiliar role of leader from a wide draw, he failed to finish off his race as a fading eighth and he emerged with a fractured splint bone.
It was a dismal end for an expected winner, but Cruz goes into the same event somewhat under the radar this time after injuries and travel issues have dulled California Memory's form line.
The trainer is convinced that travel has been the least of his worries in Singapore.
'I think this is the best that California Memory has travelled. This is the best condition he ever arrived for one of these big races,' Cruz said.
'When he went to Dubai, he lost a whole lot of weight on the flight and he wasn't himself, and then he was sore after the race as well. But he must be getting more used to the travel because, this time, California Memory lost only four pounds in body weight - that's nothing.'
The bigger story of California Memory lately, though, has been all about his joints.