Patrick Biancone last night welcomed a Jockey Club decision which will give Hong Kong's chances of success in the December International Races a much-needed boost. The French maestro had been campaigning for a switch back to the B Course and the Old Bend for the meeting at Sha Tin on November 16, a day of crucially important lead-up races for the December showpiece. Originally, the Jockey Club had programmed races on the New Bend which would have effectively meant horses running in December's International Cup running round two bends instead of one. 'Yes, I am very happy that they have made this change. Just looking at the list of overseas runners shows what a real task that the local horses face so you want all the help you can get,' Biancone said. 'Now I can have Benji running over the same course as in December. I said before I did not mind if it was on the C Course just as long as he did not have to run round two bends.' Benji is a top Hong Kong hope and his trainer is delighted with his progress since a dramatic all-the-way win over 1,800 metres first-up. 'He is going very, very well. I could not be happier,' Biancone said. And Biancone also gave the thumbs-up to Vase hopeful Partipral who is expected to defend the race he won last year for French and Spanish interests. 'He came out of Sunday's race very well. I spoke to Simon [Yim] and asked him why he had almost run into another horse [Fortune Ride] and he said to me: 'Boss, he was suddenly just going so fast that I couldn't switch out.' 'I knew at the time it was a good run and I know now it was even better,' stressed Biancone. Meanwhile, changes in race distances for all-weather racing will be considered following the second meeting on the Sha Tin dirt tonight. The new Track Master surface came through its first test last week with flying colours and the clerk of the course John Ridley has informed trainers that there will be no interruption to normal trackwork this morning. Last week the inside of the course was blocked off to prevent trainers using that part of the track for normal work. The only complaints to emerge from the season's first dirt meeting centred on the 1,650-metre start. Jockeys and trainers complained that with the start so close to the bend leading out of the straight, horses drawn on the outside were at an extreme disadvantage. Trainers' Association liaison officer David Hill said: 'It was pretty obvious at the first meeting and if the start is kept there, a pattern will develop where it is obvious that outside horses have little realistic chance. 'In time that would mean less betting on them. We would like it moved to 1,700 metres and, at the other end of the scale, see the introduction of 1,200-metre races.' Hill and Ridley have measured the track and 1,200-metre races are feasible on the dirt which would then come largely into line with race distances on turf. Director of racing, Philip Johnston, said: 'We are monitoring the situation and we will study the question of race distances on the all-weather surface and other matters relating to racing on the surface.' Don't miss Racing Post