The return to a good track should be all the concession that's required for smart Brains Trust to take a leap into Class Two company and return to the winning list at Happy Valley tonight.
Brains Trust, a four-year-old by Last Tycoon, has had dreadful luck in his two starts since winning impressively at Sha Tin on May 29.
On both occasions, however, Brains Trust has struck rain-affected ground and has not been able to get his action together under these conditions. Like most long-striding horses, Brains Trust is a top-of-the-ground performer.
Brains Trust, trained by Tony Millard, has only raced five times in Hong Kong so there have been limited opportunities to accurately evaluate him.
However, from what he showed when demoralising his rivals over 1,200 metres on good ground late last term, he is destined for better things.
In his pre-season trial on August 23, Brains Trust finished a hard-held second to General Kingy over 1,050m on the all-weather track. Jockey Brett Prebble was comfortable to let General Kingy scoot away with a big break that day, while never letting his mount off the steel.
When his turn came to go back to the races, Brains Trust had the misfortune to strike a soft track - officially, good-to-yielding. He was caught off the track throughout yet finished only 41/4 lengths from winner Noble Crusader.