THERE'S always a heightened air of expectation surrounding the goldfish bowl that is Hong Kong racing at this time of year.
With summer closing in and only a handful of meetings remaining, thousands of punters are sweating over form guides in search of iron-clad 'bankers' to help fund those off-season distractions. But this time around their quest seems less complicated than usual.
And the reason? Two names: Marcus and Whyte. 'Bustling' Basil and 'Demon' Douglas - the marquee names of the only game in town.
The prolific pair have simply bludgeoned their opposition this season and are locked in the fiercest fight for riding honours in living memory.
A quick look at the figures paints a frightening picture for their rivals. After Wednesday's Sha Tin struggle - at which Whyte (73) drew an uncharacteristic blank - Marcus has 77 winners to lead the hunt by four. But their nearest chaser - the admirable English pilot Brett Doyle - is on 40, with almost half as many wins as the leading duo.
To put their achievements in historical perspective, consider this. The record tally for a single season is held by Gary Moore at 87. Moore set that benchmark in the season of 1979-80 at the zenith of his considerable powers and he finished the campaign with a flourish, pulling some 44 victories clear of his nearest challenger.
This season both Marcus and Whyte are odds-on to shatter Moore's marvellous mark.