For jockey Zac Purton, safely ensconced in Hong Kong's top four riders during the past four years, the 2011 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint has been a tale of two horses.
In September, the Australian found himself in the enviably unenviable position of having two of the best local chances - and then having to choose well out from the race.
The regular partner of Danny Shum Chap-shing-trained Little Bridge for most of his career, Purton also found himself in demand for the ride on Ricky Yiu Poon-fai's ageing world champion, Sacred Kingdom.
'I had hoped they would take slightly different paths early and I would be able to make the choice later than I did, but Danny wanted a consistent riding engagement and Ricky wanted a commitment too,' Purton said. 'It's something all jockeys go through and it can turn out one way or another. I chose Sacred Kingdom.'
With Yiu deciding to run the eight-year-old Sacred Kingdom only once, in October, in the lead-up to the Hong Kong Sprint that he has already won twice, Little Bridge's stocks soared as he won the Jockey Club Sprint for Gerald Mosse to entrench himself among the main chances tomorrow.
Then he drew a low gate, while Purton's mount came up with the outside of the field of 14, but the Australian rider has no regrets.
'I still believe I am on the best horse in the race. The other horses have gained profile because they have been racing in the lead-ups - Sacred Kingdom has been the one nobody has been thinking about because he hasn't,' Purton said. 'But he was unlucky not to beat Entrapment first-up, when he was giving him a lot of weight under handicaps, and meets him on level terms this time.'