Joao Moreira partnered Seasons Bloom on the Sha Tin turf this morning (Thursday, 26 April), and the champion jockey’s assessment three days out from the HK$18 million Champions Mile resounded with positivity.

“This horse has never felt any better than this,” he said. “He’s in great shape, I’m extremely happy.”

Handler Danny Shum was also upbeat after watching from the top of the trainers’ observation tower as the Captain Sonador gelding worked 800m down the back stretch in 51.3s (26.4, 24.9).

“He looked good in his gallop this morning,” Shum said. “I never clock my horses, my former boss Ivan Allan told me that you only lose money by following the clock, but when Joao came back and said that it was the best he has ever felt, that was good enough for me. I think he is even better than he was before the Stewards’ Cup.”

Shum is also taking confidence from the fact that he saddled the game Circuit Land to run the race of his life when fourth in last year’s Champions Mile.

“When I look at Circuit Land – well, you cannot compare them, because Seasons Bloom is in a different class,” he said.

The Australian import heads into Sunday’s (29 April) Group 1 a fresh horse, too. The five-year-old last saw action in February when an admirable third, just a length behind the track record-setting Time Warp, in a lung-busting race for the G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m).

With only six well-spaced runs on his slate this term, Seasons Bloom’s legs have covered less ground than all bar two of his rivals – the sprinter stepping up, Blizzard, and the high-class four-year-old, Singapore Sling.

“He’s not a big horse, he’s only 1040 pounds or so. He’s got a big heart though, he tries, and he seems to enjoy having had a break – going in with a fresh mind helps him. He seems to be really happy now,” Shum said.

Moreira echoed the trainer’s opinion.

“Seasons Bloom always enjoys that freshen up and once again he’s indicating that he’s in top shape – I’ll be very disappointed if he’s not right there with them on the finish line when it counts,” Moreira said.

“I believe he’s improved this season. He’s stronger than last year and he’s matured into his ability.”

Despite his fine third over 10 furlongs last start, a mile is the distance at which Seasons Bloom has thus far excelled. The gelding’s sharp turn-of-foot sealed wins in the G2 Jockey Club Mile and G1 Stewards’ Cup either side of a solid last-to-fourth run in December’s G1 Hong Kong Mile.

Moreira believes that that closing dash could be enough to hand him a third Champions Mile, following Able Friend in 2015 and Maurice two years ago.

“It’s a tricky race because it’s not a big field this time, but with a good gate (five), so that he doesn’t have to give a big head-start to those in front of him, I believe he’s capable of running them down.”

The eight-strong Champions Mile field also features the last two winners of the G1 Hong Kong Mile, Beauty Generation and Beauty Only, as well as high-class talents Western Express, Pingwu Spark and Southern Legend.