Drawing one on Happy Valley's challenging "C + 3" course is a blessing for Tony Millard's Ovett, who has attracted the services of Joao Moreira and can slot in as banker in the final leg of Wednesday night's Triple Trio.
The key to drawing one for Ovett - named after British middle distance runner Steve Ovett - is that he won't have to be used up early, as he has been at his last two starts when jumping from wide gates at Sha Tin.
Moreira gets his first ride on the four-year-old after trialling the horse on the all-weather on January 10, and a replication of the gelding's two most recent performances should be enough for him to fill a place.
The 1,200m Class Three handicap isn't an easy race by any means, nor does Ovett look like any type of superstar - he raced nine times in England as a two-year-old, mostly on polytracks, for three wins. But the way this race looks like being run, it should favour horses drawn low that are able to take advantage of it by box-seating.
The speed drawn outside may mean that Ovett ends up three back on the fence, but that might be the best spot if they go fast.
Winfull Patrol (Olivier Doleuze) - once described by Richard Gibson as the fastest horse he has ever trained - should cross to the fence from gate seven, but drawn outside him in nine is Dicky Lui Cheuk-yin on Hawthorne, with neither that jockey or horse known for doing much else but lead. Throw Multiexpress (Matthew Chadwick) into the mix from gate 11, and there could easily be fireworks early and sustained speed throughout.
My Goal and Swift Shadow have also raced handy but they won't have the early pace to contest the front. It should play into the hands of Moreira, but also a few others.
Disciples Twelve (Zac Purton) won at his first start for Caspar Fownes and looks on an upward march. Coming back to a track he races so well at after a strong 1,200m victory at Sha Tin that suggested he could get even further. He will be favoured by a hard run race.
Rainbow Fighter (Tye Angland) drew 10, but was always going to get back anyway. He is flying so it is hard to leave him out, but the only question for him is whether the bubble will burst now he has reached the top half of Class Three.
Even though Winfull Patrol won't have the race handed to him, as it was last start, he looks better than this grade and should be included, and consider Cour Valant (Andreas Suborics) and London Walk (Mirco Demuro).
The opening leg is a Class Four over 1,200m, which also looks like being run at a genuine clip, where Kynam (Derek Leung Ka-chun) gets his first crack at the smaller track.
Perhaps trainer John Moore is looking for change of luck and a new experience for the three-year-old - whatever the case, he looks a progressive type and came up with gate three.
Include Fire Starter (Doleuze), coming out of what is looming as a decent form race, and consider Creative Union (Angland), Pearl Win (Moreira) and Jade Pippo (Demuro). Lovely Boy (Gerald Mosse) from gate nine is a risk.
In the middle pin, a Class Four over 1,650m, go with One Of A Kind (Douglas Whyte) as a clear banker - he drops in grade and comes back to the course where he has won all three of his races. Also include Jun Ju (Purton) as a double banker in a weak race. Things drop away sharply after that, with Oyster (Eddy Lai Wai-ming), Twin Turbo (Moreira) and Blossom Daily (Neil Callan) other hopes.
