Sunny Boy (133lb) returned his first Hong Kong win last start and although he has spent the majority of his career on the sidelines, trainer John Moore believes he is ready to begin his progression through the grades Sha Tin in Sunday's (16 June) Cup race.

“He had a slight setback after the last race which didn't allow us to race for three weeks but he seems to have come through that injury,” Moore said.

“I still think he's got ratings points up his sleeve. Even though he's drawn barrier 12 he's still got plenty of gate speed to get across pretty easy.”

Sunny Boy was fourth in the Group 2 Skyline Stakes in Australia as a two-year-old but had to wait more than two years before racing again, in a new country, with a new trainer. The gelding now sits on the cusp of Class 2.

“Everything's ok now, there are no soundness issues at the moment and he'll have another run again in July,” Moore continued. “He loves the cut in the ground – he's by Star Witness – and that's good because the weather bureau's got us down for a rainy Sunday.”