Hong Kong's all-star contingent for next weekend's Singapore international meeting arrived in good order despite a delay but they could be the last overseas travellers from Sha Tin this season after Ricky Yiu Poon-fai decided against a Royal Ascot raid with explosive sprinter Amber Sky.
After an exciting win in the Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai six weeks ago, the four-year-old's second straight Group One victory, Yiu and high profile owner Sammo Hung Kam-po were weighing up a start in next month's King's Stand Stakes, but will instead allow the horse a full off-season of recuperation.
"We won't go to England - there are no alternative plans either. We are just giving him a rest and we will think about a plan for next season later," Yiu said.
Four Hong Kong-trained entrants touched down at Changi Airport in the early hours of Sunday morning after a five-hour delay caused by heavy rain.
John Moore's trio of Military Attack, Sterling City and Dan Excel were left waiting at Chek Lap Kok along with Caspar Fownes' veteran Lucky Nine, but both trainers were pleased with the condition of their runners on arrival despite the delay.
"They didn't get in until around 4am in the morning and I think the grooms were more exhausted than the horses," Moore joked.
"Sterling City has travelled even better than when he went to Dubai and he was able to win there, so that is a great sign.
"All three of the horses were straight into their feed. It's only a short trip down there anyway - even with the delay.
"We will follow exactly the same routine as last year. We will just monitor them during the week and see what we will do with them - see how they are eating and assess it from there."
Lucky Nine has more stamps in his passport than most people and not surprisingly the frequent flier handled the hold-up with aplomb, mafoo Man Kit-chiu ensuring the gelding had some TLC during the wait.
"We just made sure we kept the water up to him, gave him some fresh grass and some carrots but he is fine," Fownes said.
"He copped it well and arrived in good shape.
"He will normally drop around 25 pounds through the flight but he will stick that back on within 48 hours as a rule, sometimes even faster."
Fownes' head lad Richard So Kam-man is with Lucky Nine and the trainer said he would fly to Singapore tomorrow to oversee the crucial part of the seven-year-old sprinter's preparation. "I'll be at the track on Tuesday and Wednesday," Fownes said.
"There is no fixed plan on what we will do when we are there work-wise, I'll just have to see him.
"I know him well enough now to know what to do with him."
