Premiere earned top rookie honours in Hong Kong last term and jockey Joao Moreira hopes Saturday’s feature race at Sha Tin, the Class 2 Chinese Recreation Club Challenge Cup Handicap (1000m), will kick off a career-defining sophomore season.

The four-year-old is one of a handful of smart prospects Moreira will partner on the 10-race card, a group that includes the talked-up Top Beautiful and Travel Emperor.

“Premiere can take another step forward and this season is when we’ll see the best of him,” Moreira said of the Champion Griffin. That title is awarded to the best of the season’s young gallopers not to have raced pre-import.

The John Size-trained four-year-old proved resilient and progressive through a 12-race campaign that yielded a hat-trick of 1000m wins at Happy Valley. The gelding’s rating rose 30 points to his current mark of 82, which puts him into the weekend feature with a featherweight 116lb.

“It’s Class 2, it’s a tough race, he’s in against good horses, but he’s shown that he’s a good horse, too,” Moreira said. “He’s shown he has the ability to run well in a race like this.”

Premiere’s latest effort was back in mid-June, a close second under 133lb in a Valley 1000m dash.

“He’s fresh after a good summer break and I think, with the light weight on his back, he’s a really good chance,” Moreira said.

The 14-runner trophy race also features Country Melody (123lb), a former stablemate of Premiere but now under the watch of Size’s former assistant Frankie Lor. The new handler has enjoyed a sharp start to his debut season with three wins already on the board and Saturday’s rider Brett Prebble believes Country Melody is well-placed to increase Lor’s tally.

“I don’t think it’s an overly strong race so if Country Melody brings that run from Happy Valley first-up he’d be ultra-competitive in it,” the Australian said.

Country Melody ran home a solid third behind Convincible over 1200m at Happy Valley nine days ago. The six-year-old has often saved his best for the city track but also has three Sha Tin 1000m wins to his name, albeit in his younger days.

“He ran well the other day, he hit the line strongly,” Prebble observed. “The only concern would be if the track’s a bit firmer, he appreciates the bit of give at Happy Valley.”

The field also features the talented Me Tsui-trained galloper Adventurer (126lb), returning to the course and distance at which he has registered all four career wins.



Premiere winning at Happy Valley, picture Hong Kong Jockey Club