Top jockey Brett Prebble was satisfied with Japan-bound Rich Tapestry's barrier trial on Saturday but has not committed to riding the dirt star in the Sprinters' Stakes next month where his long-time favourite Lucky Nine could be a surprise starter.

With Rich Tapestry's regular partner Olivier Doleuze no longer present, Prebble has ridden the Michael Chang Chun-wai-trained sprinter in recent work as well as in his third to Packing Pins and Amber Sky on the weekend.

I was happy to trial the horse and give him an opinion and I might trial Rich Tapestry again if he wants me to, but I'm not too sure about Japan
Brett Prebble

Chang said the sprinter needed the hit-out and he plans to trial Rich Tapestry again before the seven-year-old leaves for Japan on September 24, but Prebble said the assumption this would now be a regular pairing wasn't set in stone.

"I've been helping Michael out a bit in the mornings and I was happy to trial the horse and give him an opinion and I might trial Rich Tapestry again if he wants to me to, but I'm not too sure about Japan," Prebble said.

"Caspar Fownes told me he's still thinking about Japan for Lucky Nine if he runs well in the Chief Executive's Cup [on Sunday]. I've got a long history with Lucky Nine, so there's no way I wouldn't be on him and Michael's fine with that.

"As for his trial, you can feel he's probably not quite as good on the turf as the dirt and he is a lazy horse. He switched off as soon as I stopped riding him, but he's a gentleman to ride and he went all right."

Prebble will sit out the Chief Executive's Cup, where Lucky Nine will be ridden by 10-pound claimer Jack Wong Ho-nam, fresh from finishing second in the Asian Young Guns series in Seoul last weekend.

Trainer Ricky Yiu Poon-fai was happy with Amber Sky's effort in the same trial and the dual Group One winner is on target to resume in the National Day Cup on October 1.

However, Yiu's interest in taking the gelding to a Group One 1,200m sprint during Melbourne Cup week at Flemington has evaporated after he became fully aware of the travel requirements.

"I can't take the risk to miss the race here, which is a straight 1,000m and we know it's very suitable for Amber Sky," Yiu said.

"If we wanted to run at Flemington, Amber Sky would need to be in quarantine here on September 26, so the reality is that we can't do both races."

In other news, former riding great Felix Coetzee is to have a hand in the development of apprentice jockeys in Hong Kong.

The three-time South African champion rode 652 winners in a career here that spanned the best part of two decades, but he will always be best remembered as the full-time partner of the immortal Silent Witness.

In his new role, Coetzee will continue to be based in South Africa but make regular visits to Hong Kong to tutor and guide apprentices in the Jockeys' School at Sha Tin.

"It is an honour and I am incredibly excited about this opportunity. Mentoring in Hong Kong is something I have really dreamt about doing for a long time," said Coetzee.

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