Reformed Medico has everything in his favour to make it back-to-back wins at Happy Valley tonight in the Po Leung Kuk Centenary Cup (1,800m).
The horse, who arrived from Ireland with three wins and two seconds from six starts in 2006, had Derby prospect written all over him, but it all went so wrong.
Not only did he fail to measure up to those ambitions, Medico (Darren Beadman) didn't measure up at all, earning only one minor prize-money cheque in his first nine outings.
Sour and far from at peace in this new world, Medico tumbled down the handicaps in his first year, dropping from Class One until the middle of Class Three before he produced something worthwhile.
When he did, he dealt with a 1,600m field at Sha Tin in dashing fashion, but even that failed to convince trainer John Moore the light at the end of the tunnel was anything but an oncoming train.
In the short term, it looked like he was right, too. More disappointments followed and Medico looked consigned to that group of under-achievers destined to bob up and find a race now and then, without ever delivering on his initial promises.
But the chemistry of horses and time still holds plenty of mysteries. Medico clicked in the latter part of last season and, while the five-year-old wasn't yet winning, he was running well on a consistent basis.
