Last year, Rocket Man was toppled by the Caspar Fownes-trained Green Birdie in a driving finish through heavy rain, a year after being trumped by world-beater Sacred Kingdom in 2009, at his first attempt on the international stage.

'I think he's better than he was in Hong Kong, he's very well, and I can't have him better,' Shaw said. 'At Sha Tin I had to ease back a little on him because of the work conditions there, where we had to go around the right-handed track for quite a while, which was getting to his right leg where he has a pin in his bone.

'Going left-handed is much better for him for both training and racing, and he is in mint condition.' Felix Coetzee would prefer not to have to navigate his way across from gate nine in the 10-horse field, but is also brimming with confidence after working the horse.

'You can't help but be positive about Rocket Man, the horse just gives you so much confidence with his strength and tenacity that he shows every time he races,' he said.

'I'd like to think Rocket Man will be at his peak on his home track. He's feeling terrific, he's as strong as ever and I think he's going to give his top performance. Gate nine is obviously not ideal, but if I was drawn the inside, I'd be concerned about horses crossing him, or him getting too fired up early in the race.

'He can virtually lead any field if we want, and if they decide to go faster than, then he's going to be on their back and ready to catch them anyway.'

Shaw will leave Coetzee to make the best of the poor starting position 'I'm sure with his gate speed and Felix on top, he'll get himself into a good position no matter what the others do.'