He’s far from the finished product but Packing Victory’s talent was there for all to see at Sha Tin on Sunday, with the four-year-old giving trainer Danny Shum Chap-shing hope he has a Classic Series horse on his hands with a commanding victory in the Class Four Yi Tung Shan Handicap (1,200m).

After a similarly impressive debut success at Happy Valley in June saw his rating jump to 60, Packing Victory maintained his unblemished record with a win that will push his mark into the high 60s.

“He’s a good horse, hopefully he can be a Classic Series horse but it’s too far away to get too excited,” said a typically measured Shum.

“He’s still going to be rated 68 or something like that but I think he can keep winning. Later on I’ll push him out longer but for now I’ll stick to 1,200m. In time he will need further.”

After travelling outside leader Theta Hedge, Packing Victory was wayward in the home straight after assuming control at the 350m but was still two and three-quarter lengths clear of runner-up Amigos Giggle crossing the line.

It was a performance that left jockey Zac Purton with no doubt that there is plenty of improvement to come for the son of Reliable Man, who shares a sire with 2020 Hong Kong Derby fifth placegetter Reliable Team.

“He’s still doing a bit wrong, he’s not the greatest out of the gate, he gets a bit off balance around the corner and he’s a bit sloppy with his action in the straight but he’s a horse that wants 1,600m-plus so he’s doing a really good job at the moment over the shorter trip,” Purton said.

“When he goes up in trip he should be more comfortable and he should keep progressing through the grades.”

A rating in the 80s was required to qualify for last season’s Classic Mile and, in a year where there looks to be decent depth in the four-year-old crop, Purton knows a lot will have to go right between now and the first leg of the Classic Series on January 30.

David Hayes makes emphatic statement with treble at season opener

“It’s very hard to get there with these horses that are so far down in the ratings but we’ll just keep attacking each race as it comes and see if he can get there in time,” he said.

Packing Victory’s success was the first leg of a double for Purton after he also got the chocolates aboard the smart Nervous Witness, while his arch-rival Joao Moreira had to wait until the final race of the day to get on the board.

He did it in style, however, snaring the Class Two Tai Mo Shan Handicap (1,400m) aboard Californiadeepshot by two and a quarter lengths from Mister Snowdon with Telecom Fighters in third.