Caspar Fownes confirmed dirt star Gun Pit will contest a Group One in Japan next month, but today the trainer's attention will be on a sprinter looking to earn his stripes in the international day lead-ups at Sha Tin.
Gun Pit will fly to Japan on Tuesday ahead of the Group One Champions Cup on December 6 at Chukyo, the start of an overseas campaign that could take the five-year-old to next year's Dubai World Cup carnival and beyond in search of dirt contests.
First though, Fownes will watch his trio of runners with high hopes in the international trials, not just with Group One veterans Military Attack and Lucky Nine, but under-the-radar Group Two Jockey Club Sprint chance I'm In Charge.
READ MORE: Gun Pit to shoot for Japan glory after easy win on the dirt at Sha Tin
"Both of the older horses have their problems and they are as well as I can have them, but I'm In Charge is the improving horse in the sprint," Fownes said.
"He has been racing in great heart, he runs excellent times and can come home in the type of sectionals you need in a race like this."
I'm In Charge might not have attracted the same type of headlines as most of the horses he faces today, but has slowly worked his way through the ranks and scored a solid first-up win in the Chief Executive's Cup on opening day.
That took the six-year-old's rating to 109, but he has not raced since and will need a big performance to earn a spot in the Hong Kong Sprint on December 13.
"He hasn't got the rating yet, but this is his chance to show us he belongs in Group One company. If he can run a race today at set weights he is only going to improve for the big day," Fownes said.
Military Attack steps up to the seemingly more suitable 2,000m of the Jockey Club Cup after an encouraging third over a mile first-up, but Fownes said he is nursing the seven-year-old through to international day.
"We've given him a different routine than I did last year, because of those niggling problems - but he looks a treat and I'm sure he will run a respectable race," he said.
"I've got a lot of respect for Tony Cruz's two horses in the race," Fownes added, referring to Blazing Speed and Beauty Only. "They are both flying and it looks a race in three on paper."
Ageing sprinter Lucky Nine took the Hong Kong Sprint four years ago and the Jockey Club Sprint three years ago but the seven-time Group One winner, now eight, hasn't won for 18 months heading into today's race.
"I've tried to keep him fresh heading into this. He has an awkward gate though," Fownes said.
