Charlie Appleby is optimistic Rebel’s Romance can etch his name onto the Group One Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m) honour roll when his globetrotting superstar graces the Sha Tin turf in Sunday’s HK$13 million feature.

The six-year-old is as short as $1.3 with overseas fixed-odds markets as he bids to become the first overseas winner of the contest and add a fifth Group One to his glittering CV.

While Godolphin’s master trainer is yet to win a race in Hong Kong, Appleby, 48, is confident Rebel’s Romance is the right horse to achieve that feat after acclimatising to the city.

“Rebel’s Romance has travelled out to Hong Kong well and everyone out there has been delighted with him,” Appleby said. “We all know what he can do and conditions should hopefully suit, although there is some rain in the forecast.

“If the same Rebel’s Romance that we have seen on his last few starts turns up, he is the one they all have to beat.”

The son of Dubawi has won 12 of his 18 starts and arrives in Hong Kong on the back of an imposing two-length win in a star-studded Group One Dubai Sheema Classic (2,410m) at Meydan.

He has triumphed in five different countries, with top-level victories in America, Germany and the United Arab Emirates.

Despite beginning his career with seven starts on dirt or artificial surfaces, Rebel’s Romance rose to stardom with an impressive turf campaign in 2022.

During his four-year-old season, he claimed a remarkable Group One hat-trick in the Grosser Preis von Berlin (2,400m), Preis von Europa (2,400m) and Breeders’ Cup Turf (2,400m).

After arriving in the city last Saturday, Rebel’s Romance limbered up for the final Group One of the Hong Kong season with gentle work on the all-weather track earlier in the week.

He got a taste of the Sha Tin turf with a gallop on Thursday and Sophie Chretien, assistant trainer to Appleby in Dubai, is pleased with how final preparations are going.

“He’s become a real pro with travelling as you can imagine,” Chretien said. “He’s training well, eating well and up to now everything is going the right way.

“He’s been taking it all in really nicely and it will be interesting to see him in Hong Kong. I think he’s becoming more professional and he has a lot more confidence. In the past couple of races he has grown up a lot, he’s a big boy now.”

Rebel’s Romance has been a powerful force on the world stage but he is relatively untested on a rain-softened surface and his only start on yielding ground resulted in a defeat at $1.55 in October last year.

While there is rain forecast up to Sunday’s feature, Chretien is not too concerned about adverse conditions.

“If the rain slowed down that would be a bit better, but I don’t think it would be a drama if there is more,” Chretien said. “I think the worst of it was early in the week, so we’re hopeful for not too much.

“He showed a lot of class in the way he won in Dubai. He’s an amazing horse, a gentleman and we all love him. He just needs to repeat that and then he’ll be fine.”

Rebel’s Romance will jump from widest of all in gate eight under William Buick.