A trappy Triple Trio awaits punters at Sha Tin on Sunday, but despite a number of obstacles in his way, John Size-trained Amazing Kids can continue his progression and act as banker in the final leg.
Size's current hand for next season's four-year-old classics - the Classic Mile, Classic Cup and BMW Hong Kong Derby - looks incredibly strong and has already drawn comparisons with John Moore's team this time two years ago. Moore, of course, produced Designs On Rome and Able Friend in that crop to fight out the classics six months later.
Size's three-year-olds include unbeaten Thewizardofoz and Sun Jewellery, as well as yet-to-debut So Fast, Entitling and Hasta La Vista, but Amazing Kids (Joao Moreira) has already shown that he has the potential to be right in the thick of things when the big four-year-old races roll around in January.
Arriving as a two-year-old winner at Trentham in New Zealand, Amazing Kids produced a strong run from beyond midfield to win his first race locally in late-March over 1,200m.
On the back of that, he was sent out at odds-on just under a month ago, when he raced further forward, loomed up like he was going to win comfortably before the heavily backed Presidentparamount fought through to win by the barest of margins.
Sunday's Class Three over 1,400m appears a nice stepping stone to bigger things but Amazing Kids does have to contend with two major obstacles - 133 pounds and barrier 12.
The top of Class Three is one of the toughest places to be stranded in Hong Kong's handicapping system, and Amazing Kids will have to be every bit as good as he has indicated so far to win at the top of the class.
Indeed, it may be in Moreira's best interests to try and ride the son of Falkirk further off the speed in what looks a race with a fair amount of pace and hope to finish over the top of them as he did on debut, even with the big weight.
A potential double banker play is another three-year-old in the race, Manfred Man Ka-leung's Spicy Sure, who has a positive jockey change to Zac Purton and gets 13 pounds off the topweight.
Spicy Sure showed ability with a fast-finishing second on debut, before just missing the placings at his next two. He is awkwardly drawn, just inside Amazing Kids, but he might be able to drop behind him and follow him into the race at the right time. The step up in trip also shapes as a positive.
For others, look to consistent Noble Alpha (Brett Prebble), lightly raced Circuit Land (Andreas Suborics), likely leaders Sunny Pearl (Derek Leung Ka-chun) and Solar Kingdom (Jack Wong Ho-nam) and maybe King Of Mongolia (Douglas Whyte), despite his poor draw.
If looking for one at value in what is already an open leg outside the top two, perhaps include Fairy Eagle (Alex Lai Hoi-wing) who may be able to position handier from gate three and didn't trial too badly behind Amazing Kids last week.
The opening leg is a Class Four over 1,400m where Short Squeeze looks a suitable enough banker despite the 133 pounds.
In a race which looks to have very little speed, Brett Prebble should be able to either take the lead or the box-seat on Benno Yung Tin-pang's galloper, and after a solid last-start second he looks ready to salute the judge.
Ah Bo (Nash Rawiller) finally broke through last start and although he goes up five pounds, he is a perennial placegetter and must go in. Class-droppers Sugar City (Gerald Mosse) and Geronimo Meadow (Ben So Tik-hung) both must be included, with both having good records over this course and distance and in this class, while Heroic Guru (Moreira) and Acumen (Olivier Doleuze) are others to consider.
Perhaps one to risk is Thors Bolt (Whyte), who looks set to end up in no-man's land from gate 13. He will appreciate the step up to 1,400m but in what looks a slow race, he looks the one to leave out.
In the middle leg, a Class Four over 1,600m, consider going without a banker and just taking six horses - Happy Place (Prebble), Bear-Pop (Moreira), Asia Rising (Mosse), High Warrior (Rawiller), Indigo Way (Lai) and Unicorn (Purton).
