Difficult contest to begin with six debutantes doing battle in the first Griffin race of the season. Settled with #4 Smiling Face on top who showed a bit of ability in the trials and the booking of Joao Moreira for this contest warrants respect.

#6 Like That is hard to get read on with just the one trial at Conghua under his belt. Blinkers on first time to sharpen him up and with Zac Purton taking the reins he'll be worth keeping safe.

#5 Sunny Star has been fair in his trial and gallops. He's next best.

#1 Chancheng Prince slotting in for fourth.

#3 Dragon Bolt has done very little across his career so far in Hong Kong but perhaps stepping to Class 5 will spark sharp improvement in him and from the rail draw, with Alfred Chan's seven pound claim in use, he is capable of trying to roll forward to pinch this.

#6 Prawn Yeah Yeah gets the in-form Chad Schofield up. Fresh off a Wednesday double, Schofield is in supreme form at present and from the inside gate, he's a leading player.

#12 Jimson The Dragon is down to his mark. Zac Purton now hops on for the first time this season and if he can overcome the wide gate, he's going to be in the finish.

#13 Whistle Up is another who is down to his mark. He'll likely be in the finish.

#1 Amazing Agility finished runner-up last start. He has found his mark now in Class 5 and this is his chance to get over the line and win his way back into Class 4, especially with Zac Purton taking the reins.

#11 Reeve's Muntjac has gone unplaced since his win over this course and distance earlier this season. He has drawn well for new boy Antoine Hamelin and the pair should get the gun run throughout.

#3 Victorious Seeker has quality and has finished inside the top three at his last four outings. The booking of Joao Moreira signals intent and this contest appears suitable.

#2 Golden Kid is a winner already this campaign. He has top weight duties to shoulder but this race isn't overly strong.

#2 Good View Clarico won well last start and shapes as the one to beat once again with Zac Purton sticking aboard. He has drawn well and this appears his race to lose.

#4 Noble Desire is lightly raced but has shown plenty of quality across his short four-start career. He has drawn a touch awkward but shouldn't be too far away in transit and with Joao Moreira taking over he warrants plenty of respect.

#7 Comfort Life mixes his form but should get a charmed run throughout from gate one.

#11 Shining On gets down with just 117 lbs to carry and as a Class 4 winner previously he rates strongly to get another.

#5 Party Genius is lightly raced with only two runs under his belt but has shown ability in both of those outings. He stepped out on debut as a heavy favorite but couldn't manage to go on with it that day after putting together a number of impressive trials leading up to that run. Still, there's no doubt he has ability and with even luck he'll be able to showcase it.

#14 Iron King slots in for second. He's racing well and gets in with just 116 lbs to carry here as he searches for his first win.

#12 Leading Fortune is winless but he has steadily improved with each start. He gets Joao Moreira on again now and the extra furlong on offer here could be exactly what he's after.

#3 Circuit Hassler is next best.

#5 Colonel is unlucky not to already be a winner in Hong Kong. Still, his narrow defeats have had plenty of merit to them and this time, from gate three, with Zac Purton engaged, could well see him get over the line in first position.

#2 Happily Friends was sound on debut to finish fifth at 42/1. He has drawn to get the right run from gate one and with any further improvement, he's going to be testing these.

#1 President's Choice won well last start. He has gate 10 to contend with now but he does appear to have a number of ratings points still in hand.

#10 Victory For All grabbed third two starts ago. If he can recapture that form here he won't be too far away.

#4 Roman Impero gets the services of Alfred Chan and his seven-pound claim. He has drawn to get the right run and if he's capable of finding the front early, he could string them along here.

#3 Dream Warriors has been nothing short of consistent, grabbing third at his last two outings. He has drawn a touch awkward for Vincent Ho but if he can offset that minor hiccup then he's in with a winning shot.

#9 Galactic stepped out on debut for fifth. He didn't exactly have the best run in transit that day and his trials prior to that run suggested that he was better than that. Still, he gets a chance to atone for that although against him is gate 14, which could see him settle too far back with too much work to do.

#7 Jade Phoenix has been consistent across his four start career with three minor placings to his name. He won't be too far away.

#8 Blastoise is looking for back-to-back wins. He's in-form and the inside gate will once again afford him every opportunity to win. He faces Class 3 now for the first time but he still appears to have a number of ratings points in hand.

#6 Super Elegance has been a hard luck story all season, with four runner-up efforts in a row from his eight runs this term. Still, he has held his form and condition all term and once again he does rate as a leading player in this.

#9 God Of Dragon mixes his form but is a winner already this term. He gets the new boy Antoine Hamelin aboard and he should be thereabouts with his best performance.

#10 Enzemble is running out of chances and has become a costly conveyance across his career with four minor placings next to his name this season. Still, he has ability and figure from the inside draw.

#1 Valiant Dream is nothing short of consistent. He's a two-time winner this term and although he has been a touch unlucky at times, he has held his condition and the inside gate should afford him every opportunity and he rates as the one to beat.

#12 Kurpany caught the eye at the trials although his debut, didn't exactly go to plan when grabbing ninth. Zac Purton now takes the reins which is a good push and the inside draw should give him every chance.

#2 Heart Conquered gets the services of Joao Moreira. He was a talented sprinter in Australia and he appears to have acclimatized well to life in Hong Kong. He can continue his rise through the grades.

#10 Corrienthes is next best with that run under his belt.

#11 Joyful Heart is a winner of two of his last four starts. He has drawn awkwardly but this is a very suitable outing, especially off his latest runner-up effort. The in-form Chad Schofield takes the reins and as a two-time course and distance winner already this term, he is the one to beat.

#2 Beauty Smile steps out on debut after arriving from Ireland where he was a Listed Stakes winner pre-import. He has caught the eye at the trials and it wouldn't shock to see him win on debut.

#9 Gift Of Lifeline is a winner already this term. Barrier seven is suitable and he appears well after being scratched last start due to becoming fractious in the gates. He's in with an excellent shout.

#13 Fantastic Show is looking for the hat-trick of wins. He rises in class here but the retention of Joao Moreira is a good push.

#1 Beauty Legacy became his own worst enemy in the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, pulling and fighting his rider throughout each run at the rear of the field which clearly cost him in the straight. Now, key to his chances this week is a recent trial which saw him bowling along in the lead and if they elect to do that on Sunday, he could prove difficult to catch in his favorite spot.

#3 Decrypt might only be small but he's a pretty talented horse having placed in the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas pre-import. He drops back from 2000m to 1400m which suits and he's a leading player in this, especially with Zac Purton on.

#8 Star Shine has had soundness issues previously but he has shown that has finally put those behind him. This is a hot Class 2 but he's drawn well and the inside gate should see him get every chance.

#13 All In Mind is looking for back-to-back wins. He gets in light and remains a place chance.

Hong Kong: Beauty Legacy Eyes Austin Handicap at Sha Tin

Beauty Legacy's bad racing manners cost him any chance of Classic glory earlier this term but Joao Moreira is hoping a drop in trip might prove to be a tonic for the talented gelding's fierce attitude.

The top-weight (133 lbs) is set to take on 13 rivals in a quality-packed Class 2 Austin Handicap over 1400m at Sha Tin on Saturday night, and he will be seeking some kind of redemption for the vexed conduct that saw him place 11th in an 1800m Class 2 last month. That run, off the back of a similar display in the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m), scuppered plans for Beauty Legacy to take his place in the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m).

"In his two previous starts I had to fight him quite a bit to try and hold his temper, he was just fighting me badly and I couldn't let him go because I had horses around me," Moreira said of the John Size-trained galloper.

"There's no doubts he was not able to produce his best his last two starts because of his temper. He was really wanting to over-race with me and he was using every bit of energy he's got fighting me down the back straight, and, turning for home, he'd already tired as he'd used all of his energy doing that."

Beauty Legacy raced as Hawkshot in Australia pre-import and he did so from the front for a win in the Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) and second-place in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m). But he also scored with a last-to-first swoop in lesser grade over 1200m and with a stretch to 2000m planned for the Hong Kong Derby, Size and Moreira attempted to teach the 4-year-old to settle back and conserve energy.

That worked for an impressive first-up win at Sha Tin over 1400m on Jan. 5 and the approach wasn't a failure when Beauty Legacy placed fourth in the Hong Kong Classic Mile - then came his latest two head-pulling, rider-resenting performances.

But in his most recent trial - 1200m on dirt - Moreira allowed the son of Fiorente to roll along in front and the brown galloper moved easily, seemingly relishing the unobstructed breeze at his face.

"The other day, when I let him use the speed he has, and let him roll forward at the trial, he definitely felt much better - he felt more comfortable and the strength that he was able to show me at the end was really good," Moreira noted.

But the Brazilian also emphasized that the trial performance should not be taken as confirmation that Beauty Legacy will return to front-running tactics.

"I'm not indicating that he must lead or we are intending to lead but he has indicated that a faster run race, over a shorter distance may suit him better," he said. "Usually, when this kind of horse goes back in distance and the pace is a bit faster, they just enjoy that so much and I think that's going to be the case with this guy.

"He seems very healthy, he trials very good and I couldn't be asking for better of him than what he's been showing us lately in his trials and track-work."

Decrypt down in distance

Another horse stepping down in trip, as well as back into handicap company after a Classic campaign, is the Frankie Lor-trained Decrypt (128 lbs) who holds an engagement in the Group 1 FWD Champions Mile on April 26.

The diminutive grey placed third in the Group 1 Irish 2,000 Guineas (1600m) last year and was a fair seventh in the BMW Hong Kong Derby over 2000m last start. He also ran eighth in the Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) in January but his best efforts since import have been three placed runs over 1400m in Class 2.

"Last time in the Derby he finished off very well, especially because it was his first time over 2000 metres and Chad Schofield rode a very good race aboard him that day," Lor said. "Now he's back to 1400 (meters) on Sunday and at this moment this distance and 1600 (meters) might be his best - we're still learning about him."

Zac Purton was aboard for each of the colt's three previous Class 2 efforts and will be back holding on the reins at the weekend.

"Zac has ridden him for three gallops since his Derby run, the horse looks OK coming out of the Derby," Lor said.

Should Decrypt perform with merit, a clash with Hong Kong's supreme champion Beauty Generation could be on the cards in the Champions Mile although Lor might take up a softer option.

"I entered him for the Champions Mile but there is a Class 2 over 1600 meters on Champions Day so we can decide after Sunday which race he will go toward," he said.

"We're still learning a lot about him, I do think that next season he should be even better but he's quite straightforward, he's an easy horse to train. He's still a colt but he's not a crazy horse, it definitely hasn't affected him."

General's primed

General's Delight (115 lbs) returned from an ailment to run a fine third last time and trainer Douglas Whyte is looking for another positive performance from his well-regarded 4-year-old at his third Hong Kong start.

The Fastnet Rock gelding had a solid reputation - thanks to two wins and a Listed placing in Australia - when he lined up for his Sha Tin debut back in November but ran home a disappointing 11th. That dull effort was forgiven when it was found that the bay suffered a heart irregularity and after enjoying a break, he returned last month over the course and distance to finish a short-head back in a three-way photo.

"He was probably a bit unlucky, the horse got held up and lost momentum for a couple of strides - being a 1200 lbs horse with 133 lbs on his back I thought he showed a bit of tenacity to find his rhythm again and attack the line the way he did," Whyte said.

"Everyone has always known that he's a nice horse going forward and it's unfortunate what happened first time but fortunately he's over that and probably, if anything, he's better than last time - he'd have to be because it's a hot race and it's going to be his acid test. We'll find out how good he is at the weekend."

Matthew Chadwick is booked to take the reins.

The field for Saturday night's final of 11 races also features the Danny Shum-trained Perfect Match (128 lbs), last start winner All In Mind from the Tony Cruz stable, and the Tony Millard-trained Super Star (117 lbs).

The action starts at 12:30 a.m. ET / 9:30 p.m. PT with the season's first Griffin race, the Yau Ma Tei Plate (1000m).