Elegant fashion shows her class in all-star exhibition for the big day

The real class at yesterday's meeting had gone home before the first race was run, with Hong Kong Cup contender Elegant Fashion being the star of a series of five special exhibition gallops. Elegant Fashion was reunited with Derby winning jockey Gerald Mosse and absolutely shone in a workout with stablemate Equator Kid (Dwayne Dunn).

Mosse positioned the dual-hemisphere Group winner two lengths off Equator Kid and allowed her to come home under her own steam, finishing a neck in arrears at the winning post. Her time for the 1,400 metres was 1:28.7, the last 600 metres in 35.2 seconds and the final 200 metres in a hot 11.32.

'She felt beautiful,' Mosse said. 'She only raced two weeks ago and I did not want her to do too much today. There was more there if I had squeezed her, but she only did what she had to do today.'

Reigning Hong Kong Mile champion Olympic Express looks to be right on song for his title defence. The sleek black horse worked under assistant trainer Edwin Wong and went 1,000 metres in 1:02.2, the last 600 metres in 34.8. Wong gave him a soft time in the final 200 metres (12.18) after he had stablemate Come See You well and truly beaten.

Ultra-consistent sprinter Firebolt had the blinkers added for his gallop with recent winner Scintillation. The Flying Spur gelding had the better of his lower-grade stablemate, running the 1,000 metres in 60.5 seconds, the last 600 metres in 34.1 and the ultimate 200 metres in 11.26.

Classic Mile winner Self Flit ran a hard 1,200 metres in 1:14.0, the last 600 metres in 35.34 and the final 200 metres in 12.49 under Wong. The relentless gallop had stablemate Flying General (John Mak) in trouble a long way from home.