FORMER champion trainer Brian Kan Ping-chee is a determined individual - and it looks like he'll be getting his missing Mercedes back. The Merc disappeared from the official Sha Tin car park 10 days ago to the obvious embarrassment of the Jockey Club security department and, naturally, quickly ended up in China. For virtually anyone else in the sad position of having lost his vehicular pride and joy that would have been the bitter end of the matter . . . save for the insurance claim. But not Kan, who sounded out a few well-placed connections both here and in China. We are not aware what Asia's Finest managed, but Kan has by all accounts found out who nicked the vehicle and where it now is in China. ''I am optimistic about getting it back. I have been speaking to all sorts of people over the past week but I know where it was taken to and where it is now. I like the car and I want it returned,'' he said. The odds are the Merc will be back in parking space 7A next week. ENGLISH visitor Alan Munro, who has had a fine stint to date, left Sha Tin $5,000 poorer yesterday - and none too happy. He was clobbered for hitting Scotch Dragon in front of the saddle - his second offence of the season. ''I am upset because the horse was veering into the rails and I was trying to take corrective action. I was doing it virtually in self defence because I did not fancy ending up on the deck or over the rail,'' said Munro. Self-preservation is usually accepted as a defence in any ''court''. Scotch Dragon has looked most ungainly and extremely inexperienced in his work and it was crystal clear that he was indeed in danger of galloping through the running rail. There surely must be grounds for an appeal. THE Stewards called Basil Marcus before them to ask if he could explain Champman River's poor performance. He couldn't - but maybe we can. Would it not have something to do with becoming very fractious in the barriers, bursting underneath the stalls and then careering into the rails? Unlike last week's episode with Over The Blues, Champman River was probably entitled to take his place with the field. But that is not to say some definite policy isn't needed at the gates to protect punters' interests. NOT such a good day for Patrick Biancone. He sent out seven horses and watched five of them run home tantalisingly second. '' Well,'' he shrugged on leaving the track, ''five seconds is better than thirds.'' IT isn't only Baghdad that has been counting the damage from guided missiles recently. An almighty plunge on the Star Way gelding Cruise Missile, in the opener yesterday, exploded in punters' faces when he finished fourth.