If all goes to plan, three-year-olds Divine Calling and Luger will clash in next year's Hong Kong Classic Mile, but the pair got acquainted under less testing conditions in a leisurely all-weather track trial at Sha Tin on Friday and won't meet under race conditions this season.
Tony Millard-trained Divine Calling is the first high-profile prospect from overseas to be unveiled before the 2015 four-year-old series, while Luger has looked the best of the prospects already here and to have started from a 52-rating.
Honours were about even in the 1,200m heat as neither horse was let off the leash. The duo could barely be split for second, half a length behind Michael Chang Chun-wai-trained three-year-old Commandant in a slowly run workout.
Divine Calling arrives with Tony Millard from Gai Waterhouse after nine starts in Australia, the highlights being a win in the Group Two Stutt Stakes (1,600m), beating subsequent Cox Plate winner Shamus Award, before a second behind Long John in the Caulfield Guineas. Added to the resume are some good performances going right-handed as a two-year-old in Sydney.
Hence, Millard said he will not run Divine Calling again this season, even though the gelding has been here since February and has been putting in solid numbers at trackwork over the last few weeks.
The grey by Stratum won't take long to come to hand - in fact, he might need to pack on some more muscle before the demanding season ahead.
Joao Moreira pushed Divine Calling into the lead, and Douglas Whyte had Luger sit right behind him in the run, but they were both under a throttlehold to the line.
Luger returned from a five-month lay-off with a workman-like Class Three win three weeks ago, and will head to the Class Two over 1,400m at the Season Finale.
While the son of Choisir might have got away with a soft three-point hike for his Griffin Trophy win two starts ago, the handicapper certainly caught up with him after his two and a half length win last start, his rating leaping from 78 to 90.
Behind them in fourth was Rainbow Chic (Vincent Ho Chak-yiu), who looms as a key runner for trainer Caspar Fownes' championship hopes on the final day.
He was up to his old tricks, overracing a touch before Ho wisely let him have his head. At the very least, he will be fit in a week's time and that might take the edge off his sometimes feisty racing manners.
In the other trial, another Size youngster - and another by Stratum - continued to progress. Unraced two-year-old Dark Core (Moreira) moved well as he led all the way in his sixth trial.
