From the HK Racing Post (www.racing.scmp.com)Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner Presvis has turned heads all week at Sha Tin trackwork as trainer Luca Cumani prepares his talented gelding for a shot at the HK$20 million Hong Kong Cup (2,000m). Some of international racing's biggest players stopped in mid-conversation to admire Presvis as he glided across the turf with ease each morning - every inch a supreme athlete."That is a serious horse," Darren Beadman said in a low whistle as Presvis

From the HK Racing Post (www.racing.scmp.com)

Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner Presvis has turned heads all week at Sha Tin trackwork as trainer Luca Cumani prepares his talented gelding for a shot at the HK$20 million Hong Kong Cup (2,000m). Some of international racing's biggest players stopped in mid-conversation to admire Presvis as he glided across the turf with ease each morning - every inch a supreme athlete.

"That is a serious horse," Darren Beadman said in a low whistle as Presvis eased past the Sha Tin grandstand yesterday.

You can almost hear Beadman's brain ticking over as he tries to imagine the scenario where he can outmanoeuvre Presvis' jockey, Kieren Fallon, and drive his own mount, Collection, to victory.

As in everything that is racing, looks can be deceptive, but Presvis is going every bit as good as he looks, according to his master trainer Cumani. "He seems to have travelled over well and he has come on since," Cumani said. "I hope that he has taken some improvement from his last run, because this is certainly a tougher race than the Queen Elizabeth. I don't know just how good this horse is yet, but I think we may all find out what heights he can reach on Sunday."

Cumani has had terrific success in travelling his horses all over the world to win some of international racing's most coveted prizes.

He already has the 2003 Hong Kong Cup sitting on his mantelpiece, courtesy of superhorse Falbrav.

As always, the trainer was unperturbed by drawing gate nine of 10, because he says Presvis will race at the rear of the field as he did when winning the Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Sha Tin in April.

"You can race at the rear here, because even though the straight may not be as long as we might have in Europe, the racing starts on the bend at about the 600-metres mark," Cumani said. "He should have plenty of time to come around the field, like he did in the QEII Cup."

Cumani has reason to make it all sound so easy for Presvis. His come-from-behind win over the Hong Kong Cup course in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup was outstanding, and earned him the career-high performance rating of 120.