Even his closest rival in Sunday's $HK12 million Hong Kong Sprint is in awe of Australian sprinter Apache Cat.And when that rival is trained by one of Europe's finest, it can be taken as a serious compliment.Freddie Head, a six-time champion jockey of France and a trainer who is chasing his ninth Group One win of the season, will saddle up Marchand D'Or in the Sprint (1200m)."Apache Cat and my horse are the real Group One horses in the race," Head said."I have seen the Australian horse here in H

Even his closest rival in Sunday's $HK12 million Hong Kong Sprint is in awe of Australian sprinter Apache Cat.

And when that rival is trained by one of Europe's finest, it can be taken as a serious compliment.

Freddie Head, a six-time champion jockey of France and a trainer who is chasing his ninth Group One win of the season, will saddle up Marchand D'Or in the Sprint (1200m).

"Apache Cat and my horse are the real Group One horses in the race," Head said.

"I have seen the Australian horse here in Hong Kong and I have seen his record.

"With both of them I have been very impressed."

Marchand D'Or ran poorly in last year's Hong Kong Sprint but has since won three Group One races, including the best sprints in both France and England.

In the July Cup at Newmarket he accounted for one of the best fields of sprinters assembled in Europe this season and followed with two more Group One victories in France, including that country's premier short-course event, the Prix de L'Abbaye.

Head paid almost as much attention to Apache Cat as he did to his own runner at Sha Tin on Friday as the pair rounded off their preparations.

"Apache Cat, he moves very well and is a very nice horse," he said.

"If we can beat him it will be a very good season for me.

"I have had a great year and maybe a win here as well would be too much to ask.

"But on paper it looks like a two-horse race.

"It could be the toughest for Marchand D'Or for the year."

Apache Cat had his main gallop on Wednesday and has since been restricted to striding work on the all-weather track at Sha Tin where on Friday he appeared bright and happy as he completed two laps of the 1600m track.

Australia's other runner on the International Day program, Douro Valley, also looked in perfect order as he worked on Friday.

Douro Valley completed his final gallop in preparation for the $HK14 million Hong Kong Vase (2400m) on Thursday with race rider Darren Beadman in the saddle.

Beadman, who is in second place in the Hong Kong jockeys' championship, said he had no concerns with Douro Valley's ability to handle the right-handed Sha Tin track.

"He tracked well on the right leg and felt terrific to me," Beadman said.

"I think he'll be hard to beat."

Beadman's brightest prospects on Sunday come in the feature race, the $HK20 million Hong Kong Cup (2000m) in which he rides the nominal favourite Viva Pataca.

On a day when Australian involvement is always easy to find, a victory by Hong Kong's leading galloper would have a strong Down Under flavour.

As well as having Beadman in the saddle, Viva Pataca is prepared by expatriate Australian John Moore, the most successful trainer in Hong Kong racing history.

Moore has won five Hong Kong trainers' championships since taking out his licence in 1985.

Moore is also bullish about the chances of Able One, a horse he said has "genuine prospects" in the Hong Kong Mile (1600m).