Veteran jockey Gerald Mosse and new boss Manfred Man Ka-leung can get their partnership off to a flying start and help punters land a big Triple Trio when Motif returns from injury at Sunday's season opener at Sha Tin. in HK.
Mosse wound back the clock at the end of last season with back-to-back four-timers at the last two Sha Tin meetings after it was announced he would be retained rider for trainer Man in 2015-16, an arrangement to be reassessed in December.
Motif may not have raced since April, but the four-year-old should have returned more physically developed, finds the right type of race and has a lovely draw - all of which should have him figuring closely in a thin Class Four over 1,400m.
The TT carries a chunky HK$24 million jackpot and Motif looks the type of percentage play to build a ticket around as a final leg banker.
Motif was winless in seven starts at three, but was by no means disgraced, copping some bad draws along the way and still showing glimpses to suggest he would head higher in the ratings.
When Motif did draw a gate he produced his best effort to finish runner-up to Grand Harbour in a contest where the tempo worked against him. Just when it seemed Motif's luck had turned, his season came to a premature end before his next scheduled start when he reared in the barriers and struck his head, fracturing a nasal bone.
Motif missed more than seven weeks of trackwork after the incident and will be first-up for more than five months when he resumes on Sunday. Alex Lai Hoi-wing was aboard for a satisfactory trial and Motif has been put through some solid gallops, allaying any fitness concerns.
Barrier two will allow Mosse to drop Motif into a perfect spot just in front of midfield, in a race where a genuine tempo seems assured due to the presence of both of the 10-pound claiming apprentices - Kei Chiong Ka-kei on Born To Win and Jack Wong Ho-nam on Mister Marc.
Motif has caught the eye in his work this week.
Perhaps Born To Win could be considered, but not before Elegance Klammer (Brett Prebble), Plenty Of Speed (Neil Callan), Asia Rising (Joao Moreira) and Gold Dragon (Douglas Whyte).
In the second leg Zac Purton, pending medical clearance on his injured ankle today, gets back on board Metallic Star in a 1,200m Class Four that looks an ideal target.
Metallic Star received a kind off-season reassessment from handicappers that puts him in Class Four for the first time, and had some luck at the barrier draw to go with it, coming up with gate three.
The biggest threat to Metallic Star could be Magical Beauty (Callan), who was flattered by a nice draw when third late last season, but he looks to have plenty of upside. Now four and heading into just his third start, Magical Beauty trialled nicely in the preseason and looks like he has taken a step up.
Take Metallic Star and Magical Beauty as double bankers, ahead of Ah Bo(Richard Fourie), Fun Tapestry (Joao Moreira) and Super King Star (Eddy Lai Wai-ming).
Nailing the Class Five opening leg of the TT will be difficult and again look to Purton on a horse dropping in grade and blessed with a nice draw. Acumengets four points sliced off his mark and Danny Shum Chap-shing has promptly gone for blinkers on the five-year-old, who also came up with barrier three.
From there take Friends of Yan Oi (Karis Teetan), Southchina Command(Vincent Ho Chak-yiu) and Hear The Roar (Matthew Chadwick).Heavenisaracehorse (Howard Cheng Yue-tin) has been infuriating for punters, but falls into the cellar grade for the first time and deserves consideration.