Olivier Peslier, Frankie Dettori and Andrasch Starke - the three past winners of Hong Kong's International Jockeys' Championship - were cautiously optimistic yesterday of a repeat in tonight's 2001 renewal at Happy Valley.
The European trio, part of the throng of riding talent descending on the city venue for the three-race series, each singled out one of their three mounts as a standout to send them on their way, but were calling for a bit of luck if they are going to snare the main prize.
'I was hoping you could tell me something,' Dettori laughed when asked about his chances yesterday. 'I see Noble Boy has won his last two starts, so I guess he must be a great chance on his form in the first leg. The other horses, Super Splendid and Kindred Spirits, I don't know how they've been going. I'll be guided by the trainers, but at least they haven't drawn too badly and you always need some luck at a small track like Happy Valley.
'Anyway, it will be a fun night like it always is. Sunday is the big day, the big horses, the big prize-money. Everything comes down to Sunday but this Jockeys' Championship is a great night every year, the Jockey Club does a very good job with the staging and we'll be out there doing our best to win it.'
The charismatic Italian is based in Britain but rides tonight under the flag of the United Arab Emirates, home base of the powerful Godolphin stable, for whom he has three rides in Sunday's big events - Tobougg (Hong Kong Cup) China Visit (Mile) and Ekraar (Vase). He flew into Hong Kong on Monday as the winner of the Mauritius jockeys' series last weekend, so he goes to Happy Valley as the form runner.
'Yes, I'm a last-start winner, which can't be bad,' he said. 'In Mauritius, it is a six-race series, in 32-degree [Celsius] heat and 95 per cent humidity, so it can be hard work. I was lucky enough to get on a couple of horses there which took me around on the bridle so it wasn't too tough.'
Peslier is also something of a specialist in these jockeys' invitation events, having won the World Super Jockeys' Series in Japan on two occasions, as well as performing well on his visits to Hong Kong. The French ace, who rides Zenno El Cid in the Mile, Caitano (Vase) and Saddle Up (Cup) on Sunday, said yesterday: 'I won in the first year and I was second the next time to Frankie, so I've had good success here. They tell me Born Dragon has a good chance in the third leg, so I hope I can finish with a winner. I don't know too much about the other horses [Blessings' Partner and Successful Spirit], but I'll discuss things with the trainers.'