While all eyes are on New Zealand-bred gelding Ka Ying Rising ahead of Sunday’s Gr.1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m), his compatriot Flying Ace has made a late bid to cause an upset in the Sha Tin feature.
Flying Ace was initially on standby for the race but made his way into the final field following the withdrawal of Nobals earlier this week after he continued to display a blood abnormality.
Flying Ace's addition has also doubled David Hall's representation in the race, with the local trainer also set to line-up Group One winner Invincible Sage.
Bred by Westbury Stud principal Gerry Harvey, Flying Ace is by their resident stallion Swiss Ace and out of stakes-performed Danehill Dancer mare Danescape.
Flying Ace wasn't offered at the yearling sales and instead was entrusted to the care of Cambridge trainer Alex Oliveira and was initially named Seascape.
He impressed when winning his first trial at Taupo as a three-year-old and was subsequently sold to clients of David Hall, for whom he has raced as Flying Ace and has placed in the Gr.3 Premier Cup (1400m), Gr.3 Sha Tin Vase (1200m) and Gr.2 Sprint Cup (1200m).
Westbury Stud General Manager Russell Warwick has enjoyed watching the farm graduate perform with distinction in Hong Kong and is hoping he can recapture that form on Sunday.
"He has always been a genuine horse and like a lot of the Swiss Ace's he has gotten better as time has marched on," Warwick said.
"David Hall has done a really good job managing him and I am sure the owners are extremely excited to have a runner in one of those big races."
While Flying Ace was in pleasing form earlier this year with his Group placings, he has failed to fire in his four starts this season and Warwick said he will need to have improved to feature this weekend.
"He has probably got to raise the bar a little bit, he was in superb form last season, and at his best he will definitely be competitive," he said.
Warwick will also be keeping a close eye on the Gr.1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m), where Westbury stallion Redwood will be represented by Group One winner Antino.
"He is very exciting and is a live chance in that race," Warwick said. "It would be great if he could carry on his form from Melbourne through. He looks like he is in magnificent order.
"There is a bit of unexposed form with the likes of the Japanese horses, but outside of those horses he is in there with a top three chance."
Westbury Stud stallions will also be well-represented on the meeting's undercard, with Warwick particularly looking forward to farm graduate Mr Energia lining up in the opening contest of the day, the Silent Witness Handicap (1200m).
Mr Energia was also bought out of the trials in New Zealand after failing to meet his $75,000 reserve at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2022 Ready to Run Sale, and he has also been in the care of Hall in Hong Kong, for whom he has won one of his three starts this season.
Warwick said Hong Kong is an important market for New Zealand and he is looking forward to watching some of Westbury's graduates compete on racing's biggest stage this weekend.
"Mr Energia was bred down here, and like Flying Ace, he is by Swiss Ace," he said. "His half-brother made $330,000 at the ready to run sale a couple of weeks ago and was bought by Te Akau.
"He (Mr Energia) won a trial convincingly at Waipa and was sold up to Hong Kong. It is a market that has been very good to us with the tried horses that we have sold."
