Caspar Fownes has scrapped a Sprinters Stakes start for Lucky Nine after an unconvincing barrier trial, but the trainer says his beloved veteran still has "something left to give" in what will be his final season.

Lucky Nine usually performs well in all-weather track trials, but battled for sixth in a 1,200m heat yesterday at Sha Tin - even with jockey Brett Prebble urging the eight-year-old for an extra effort.

Fownes cited some excuses for the subpar performance - Lucky Nine was slow away and squeezed between runners at the start of the trial, before finding little galloping room late - but the lacklustre showing was still enough to sway the trainer into sticking to a domestic schedule for now.

"We've decided against the trip to Japan and will focus our attention on him at home," said Fownes, who had hoped for a third try at the Nakayama feature with Lucky Nine after two unplaced efforts in 2012 and 2013.

"It was hard to get a real gauge on his trial. He was back in the field and he doesn't seem to like racing between horses anymore, but it was one of those 'iffy' trials.

"I thought the best bet was to stay at home and see how we are looking after a race or two. This will be his last season and I would like to bring him through slowly and get a few decent runs out of him."

A final career run in next year’s Singapore’s Krisflyer International Sprint – a race where Lucky Nine triumphed in 2012 and 2013, before finishing third last season – is Fownes’ dream for a horse that was winless in six runs last season.

“That would be ideal, to race him until then and have Singapore as his swansong,” Fownes said. “He has won two out of the last three there and was unlucky last time.

“In the meantime, we will get a few starts into him and see if he will switch back on. I think he can. I know he is getting on, but I promise you he isn’t feeling any aches and pains. He looks incredible and he is so healthy right now.

“Of course, if he shows us he is not competitive, we will retire him, but I still believe he has something left to give. We’ll see what his next run holds, that will be the best way to judge it.”

Fownes would prefer to avoid handicap events with his 123-rated gelding, but has little choice between now and December’s Longines Hong Kong Sprint, a race Lucky Nine won five years ago.

A step up to 1,400m in the Celebration Cup in just under two weeks is not out of the question, where Lucky Nine could face a fellow eight-year-old and stablemate Military Attack.

"He is coming along well," Fownes said of the one-time horse of the year.

“He is an ageing galloper as well, but I’m happy with him. Obviously his main target will be the Hong Kong Cup on International Day.”