Sugarloaf looked a cut above the rest of those working at Sha Tin yesterday morning.
The John Moore-trained gelding was tipped as a potential Derby prospect after two brilliant wide-margin victories at the end of the season before last.
But the New Zealand-bred gelding was never quite right last term and finally was forced to sit out the rest of the campaign after suffering a bleeding attack when finishing behind Noble Dancer at Happy Valley on February 10.
Prior to that eighth placing there had been signs of a return to form when he finished fourth to stablemate Ever Joy, a surprise 50-1 winner, a month earlier at Sha Tin.
The enforced rest seems to have done Sugarloaf the world of good.
While it is always dangerous to back a horse returning from a bleeding attack, yesterday's work from Sugarloaf suggests it could at least pay to keep him safe if he's in a race where you fancy playing the tierce pool.