In a big weekend of international competition, Hong Kong Sprint winner Aerovelocity can create history by becoming the first foreign-trained horse to win the Group One Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1,200m) at Chukyo racecourse in Japan today.
Most of the attention midweek has been on the seven runners from Hong Kong who ran at the Dubai World Cup meeting at Meydan overnight, but Paul O'Sullivan-trained Aerovelocity's bid for Japanese Group One glory should not be underestimated.
No international runner has tackled the Takamatsunomiya Kinen since 2003, when American trainer Darrell Vienna took two horses to Chukyo. They finished 13th and 17th and were well beaten by the Japanese sprinters.
That said, Hong Kong's turf sprinters are a different calibre entirely - Silent Witness and Ultra Fantasy were both successful in the autumn equivalent, the Sprinters Stakes - and Aerovelocity (Zac Purton) looks to have the credentials to measure up here.
A first-up win in the Group Two Premier Bowl, where Able Friend suffered his only defeat of the season to date, was followed by a luckless last in the Group Two Jockey Club Sprint when checked badly by an erratic weakening Amber Sky.
He was able to atone, though, taking out the Hong Kong Sprint comfortably from Peniaphobia, showing both speed and tenacity to assert his authority.
Last time out, he was as tenacious as ever, but was just nailed by Richard Gibson's consistent Gold-Fun on the line.
As of last night, the six-year-old was third favourite on the Japanese tote, behind Straight Girl (Yasunari Iwata) - who finished third behind Aerovelocity in the Hong Kong Sprint - and Mikki Isle (Suguru Hamanaka), but significantly, the main chances have drawn the outside three gates, with Mikki Isle in 16, last year's winner Copano Richard (Yutaka Take) in 17 and Straight Girl in 18.
In that regard, the Hong Kong sprinter has all the favours from gate four, from where he should be able to position on or near the speed and force the others to chase.
Still, O'Sullivan is not convinced it may be a positive, although he believes the horse is as well as can be.
"He's settled in pretty well for him, he's fed well all the way through, and he looks bright and fit," the trainer told the Japan Racing Association yesterday. "As far as the draw goes, the horse can take advantage of that draw. It looks like there might be one or two speedy horses, but he's quite adaptable and you can ride him anywhere you wish."
"If I had one concern after walking the track yesterday, it would be if it rained and the well-worn inside part of the track would not be the place to be. At least we've got the advantage of 10 races before the feature to see what the pattern is."
The Takamatsunomiya Kinen will be simulcast for betting in Hong Kong, and will jump between races four and five from Sha Tin.
