Talented Great Achievement can wrest the lead from Hip Hip Hooray in the race for the million dollar International Sale bonus when he returns to his preferred dirt course at Sha Tin tonight in the Manawatu Racing Club Challenge Trophy over 1,200 metres.
The Manfred Man Ka-leung-trained three-year-old held the lead in the bonus chase until Sunday, when David Ferraris-trained Hip Hip Hooray won his third race on end to sweep pass Great Achievement's stake money tally of $1,871,750 to lead by almost $170,000.
Hip Hip Hooray is in the driver's seat, as he has two more races at the tail of the season where he can pick up prizemoney if needed, but to even force him to run, Great Achievement needs to win tonight and retain the frontrunning.
Great Achievement (Gerald Mosse) was a disappointment early this season but delivered when switched to the all-weather and has yet to run a bad race since then.
At his latest outing, he served notice that he remains in fine form, boxing on strongly to be run down by Solar in the shadows of the post over 1,400m at Sha Tin, despite having raced wide throughout.
That was certainly one of his best turf runs of the season and the return to what looks a fast-run 1,200m on the dirt will suit, despite drawing out in gate nine.