Zezao has been one of the turnaround performers from freshman trainer Richard Gibson and he should make it four for the season in the Hong Kong Riding For The Disabled Association Cup (1,000m) today at Sha Tin.
It's a fairly modest assignment for a trophy race, but even that sort of hurdle would have been too much for Zezao (Tim Clark) in his first 25 starts over almost three years under three different trainers.
The gelding managed only two minor placings, and those grudgingly, as his attitude well and truly got the better of what handy ability he had shown overseas and he tumbled from a rating of 81 to the 36 where he sat when he met Gibson mid-season.
Since then, it has been a different story and Zezao has landed three wins and a second from seven starts and even that doesn't do the turnaround full justice as he had vet issues in one run and has been without luck at the most recent two.
Fourth in a 1,200m event after sitting wide, Zezao was finishing off strongly into the money at his most recent run on that wet day at Sha Tin three weeks ago but ran into traffic behind Lifeline Elite.
He managed fifth but would certainly have been closer with clear room, and if anything today's race presents less of an assignment, even from what would normally be an awkward draw in gate five.
The one plus of Zezao's draw is that he has speed horses drawn immediately outside him, Fastplus Hero and Po Ching King, and it seems likely they will drag the field across towards the preferred outside rail.