Pemelar Fan Lau Yuk-ming - wife of Peter Fan Pong-cho, part owner of rising youngster Bear Hero - has yet to race anything as special under her own name, but she has a nice prospect in Bear Express.
Bear Express appeared underdone for his debut on Saturday despite plenty of gallops and a few trials and was left alone in the betting at 48-1 for Greg Cheyne, but made an encouraging debut in the Class Four Link Handicap over the straight 1,000m.
The David Hall-trained galloper wasn't flash into stride, settled third from the rear, veered inside off the hind quarters of Vital Smart passing the 400m and stretched out well in the final 50m to edge out Perpetual Kingdom for fifth - five lengths off impressive debut winner Jade Christy.
The three-year-old Australian-bred is a son of Group One Newmarket July Cup winner Stravinsky, who has produced 24 winners from 41 starters in Hong Kong, topped by the 115-rated Happy Valley specialist Our Lucky Baby; mated to Marscay mare Mariana, who was unplaced from five starts.
Mariana is a direct descendant of Bluebird mare Azzurro, a Group One winner of the VATC One Thousand Guineas, and half-sister to Class Three performer and double 1,200m Happy Valley winner Magic Sweep.
Bear Express is a half brother to three starters with Che Cosa, a son of Lucky Owners, a winner at 1,400m and 1,600m in Australia.