Brett Prebble has given punters the best guide to the outcome of today's Guangzhou Handicap (1,400m) by selecting the promising Survey Survey ahead of Hawkes Bay after he partnered both to eye-catching lead-up trials.
While the decision was obviously not cut and dried, given he had teamed up with Hawkes Bay in nine of his 12 outings, Survey Survey's dazzling turn of foot and return to his preferred distance appears to have been the deciding factor.
Survey Survey looked destined for stardom when winning his first two appearances over 1,400 metres last season in impressive fashion.
He took a quantum leap in class his following start and ran with merit behind the brilliant Floral Pegasus but his preparation was ruined when he was a late scratching for the Derby Trial after he drove a nail into his hoof after pulling a shoe.
He made it to the Hong Kong Derby but failed due to missing his vital lead-up run and it wasn't until he finally reverted back to 1,400m two starts back that he returned to form.
The Tony Cruz-trained youngster came from the tail of the field with a withering burst to finish second to the in-form Egyptian Ra but the smart performance left him flat for his final assignment of the year over 1,600m where he finished ninth.
The four-year-old looks to have thrived during his summer break, if his performance in a trial down the Sha Tin straight on September 1 is any guide.
