Hello Pretty irrefutably claimed the right to represent his adopted city in next month's Hong Kong Cup by not only winning Sunday's International Cup Trial but equalling a performance benchmark in doing so.
Our thoroughly proven speed ratings show Hello Pretty to have performed to a new personal best figure of 120 in defeating Saturn by 23/4 lengths.
Viva Pataca, winner of the Hong Kong Derby and Champions & Chater Cup in the spring, was a further 21/4 lengths away third, five lengths behind Hello Pretty.
The Cup trial has only been run since 2002, when it was won by Brian Kan Ping-chee's Red Pepper, who rated 116.
In the five editions of the race, the only horse to match Hello Pretty's performance was Ain't Here, who also rated 120 in defeating Bowman's Crossing and Bullish Luck in 2004. The Tony Cruz-trained Bullish Luck went on from there to finish an unlucky nose second to Alexander Goldrun in the Hong Kong Cup four weeks later.
Unfortunately, in trying to predict where Hello Pretty will go from here, Ain't Here isn't much help.
The David Hayes-trained gelding found severe traffic problems in the Cup the following month and wasn't properly extended behind Alexander Goldrun and Bullish Luck.