Fifty Fifty stepped up to the plate last time with a debut Group 1 performance packed full of merit and jockey Karis Teetan believes the popular grey has more to give in Sunday’s (25 February) G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m).

“He’s proved that he’s in the same league as those horses; I feel like he’s gradually going up and now he’s reached that level where he can run against the best horses – but he’s still getting better,” Teetan said at Sha Tin this morning (23 February).

Fifty Fifty is one of the season’s brightest emerging talents. Since a career debut second last July, Peter Ho’s charge has risen rapidly to the top rank. Four wins from six starts this term have taken the Thorn Park five-year-old’s local rating from 74 to 121; along the way he has snared the G3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup Handicap (1400m) and in last month’s G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) the gelding finished a half-length second to Seasons Bloom.

“He’s been running well this whole season and he’s keeping his form pretty good,” the ever-present rider said. “It will be interesting to see what he does now because last time it was a very good run from him and we’re going back to see if he’s got something even better in him.

“Every time I ride him he keeps on getting better but he’s still very soft,” Teetan revealed. “Last time, horses came around him and he still hesitated a little bit. He hasn’t run a lot so he’s still learning – mentally, he’s still going to improve. Physically, he’s in top form at the moment.”

Fifty Fifty is blessed with an impressive turn of acceleration but Teetan has gone on record previously to state his belief that that late speed is most effective at a mile. But the Mauritian ace is not concerned by the drop back to 1400m.

“Going back to the 1400 is not a big question mark,” he said. “Of course, he’s best at a mile but all of the horses he faced last time are going back in distance too. I know he can handle it. He’s got lots of speed out of the gate to get a nice position.”

Fifty Fifty will break from gate three in the field of 11.

“The gate is a big help for him, at that distance it can play a big hand,” Teetan said.

And the rider is happy with Fifty Fifty’s wellbeing two days out from his second G1 test.

“I galloped him on Tuesday and this morning I worked him – he’s healthy and he’s ready to rock n’ roll,” he said.

Fifty Fifty’s 10 rivals include last year’s winner Helene Paragon alongside other G1 winners Beauty Only, Peniaphobia and Beauty Generation. Beat The Clock was second to Fifty Fifty in the Chinese Club Challenge Cup and filled the same spot subsequently in the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m). Fellow rising stars Pingwu Spark, Southern Legend and Western Express are also in the exciting line-up, along with last year’s third Joyful Trinity.

Sunday’s card also features the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m), in which Time Warp, Pakistan Star and Werther will line up.