Playa Del Puente's impressive performance at Happy Valley last month thrust him high up the early BMW Hong Kong Derby pecking order and the three-year-old will attempt to confirm that position at the city track on Wednesday, 13 November.
Danny Shum's charge takes on 11 talented rivals in the Class 2 Maurice Handicap (1650m) including the high profile Australian import Extra Brut, winner of the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) a year ago.
Joao Moreira has ridden Playa Del Puente (127lb) in two of his three Hong Kong starts and is aiming to go back-to-back having guided the Irish import to a front-running three-length score over the course and distance last time.
“I think he's as good as he looks,” Moreira said this morning (Tuesday, 12 November).
In 2017 the Brazilian rode Rapper Dragon to become the first horse in history to win all three legs of the Hong Kong Classic Series. He believes the 90-rated Playa Del Puente has what it takes to at least be a player in this season's series, which kicks off in January with the Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m), continues with the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) one month later and ends on 22 March with the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m).
“What he's done so far, he deserves the opportunity to be running in those Classic races coming up soon and he might be up to it,” Moreira said.
“He has quality and he's proven that since day one. In his first race he got back and he finished just about two lengths behind a decent horse (Gold Chest). He is young and with him being targeted towards the Derby I think he's showing what he should be showing – he's a very nice horse.”
Despite his evident ability, Playa Del Puente displayed some immaturity in his first two starts but looked consummately professional in his latest race.
“Not just last time,” Moreira noted. “The other day I galloped him on the grass track and he seems much more mature. He's coping and learning quicker than I thought he would, to be honest, and that is a very good sign!”
Extra Brut (130lb) is set to make his Hong Kong debut for trainer Frankie Lor, with champion jockey Zac Purton having passed positive feedback to the handler after partnering the four-year-old in a dirt track gallop last week.
“He has looked really good in the morning so I hope he can run a good a race,” Lor said this morning.
“He has had three good barrier trials and one time last week I put Zac on and he said the horse was in good form and ready to race.”
The first of those trials was around Happy Valley's idiosyncratic, tight circuit back in September and the proven stayer ran home sixth of eight over 1200m, with high-class galloper Southern Legend within touching distance in fifth.
“There aren't many races for him at the moment and we trialled him at Happy Valley, so we decided to start him off in this race. His trial there was no problem; the only issue maybe is that he's drawn 11,” Lor said.
“In Australia he raced near the back but at Happy Valley the straight is short so maybe we'll see if Zac can settle him midfield with cover. I hope he can run well and then we can make a decision about where he goes next.”
The trainer won all three legs of last year's Classic Series: Furore won the Hong Kong Classic Mile and BMW Hong Kong Derby, while Mission Tycoon collected the Hong Kong Classic Cup.
Lor's Morethanlucky (130lb), third in the 2018 Hong Kong Classic Mile, is slated to join the line-up, returning to the Valley for the first time since May 2017.
“The race looked a little bit weak and he had a race at Happy Valley a long time ago so I put him in,” the trainer said of his Conghua-based charge who is without a win in 13 months.
“Last time at Sha Tin he looked like he'd improved a bit. Our horses in Conghua go well and have shown when they come back to Hong Kong that they can run well.”