The "big three" are back duelling at the top of Jockey Challenge betting but a strong start should see Joao Moreira scoot home as favourite and end his run of outs, reports Racing Post HK.
After dominating the Jockey Challenge at the early meetings this season, top scoring at six of the first seven fixtures, Moreira has been on a slide.
The Brazilian returned from a three meeting suspension to capture two more Jockey Challenges last month, but since then has been rolled at five straight meetings - the first of those occasions when arch rival Zac Purton rode five winners and collected a massive 78 points.
Gerald Mosse's startling run of form has seen him capture the last three Jockey Challenges with 50, 42 and 30 points respectively, but the Frenchman has attracted an average card today and Moreira can return to his winning ways.
Moreira was $1.65 in early betting and will face stiff competition from two familiar faces: Douglas Whyte ($3.50) and Purton ($6.50). While Whyte and Purton end the day well, it is easy to envisage Moreira skipping away with a big, and perhaps unassailable, lead early.
In the first four races Moreira rides the likely outright or second favourite: Tang Palace, Oriental Fantasia, Dashing Fellow and Ah Bo giving him a solid foundation for the day. The jury is out on his mount in race five, Sergeant Titanium, but the tail end of his book doesn't look that bad.
Star Majestic is among the leading chances in race six, Pablosky is early favourite in the following event and although outsiders in betting, John Moore-trained pair Secret Sham and Sea Diamond have ability and give Moreira place hopes in races eight and nine.
Moreira caps the day on David Hall-trained Berlini stepping up to the mile in a winnable Class Three.