A decent barrier trial against some of the best horses in town has apprentice Matthew Poon hopeful that talented grey Packing Dragon can return to the winner’s circle when he tackles the Class 2 Kwoon Chung Bus Cup Handicap (1800m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (3 October).

The Ricky Yiu-trained Packing Dragon (129lb), a winner of eight of his 37 starts, has struggled to figure with his triple-figure rating in recent starts. While still in that domain, with a current mark of 101, he did win twice under Poon with a rating in the 90s in February, including once over this course and distance.

For the 24-year-old claimer, it was Packing Dragon’s recent trial, where he kept on for third behind Fifty Fifty and Beauty Generation, that really took his attention – especially after Horse of the Year Beauty Generation made a brilliant return to racing with his emphatic victory in Monday’s (1 October) G3 Celebration Cup (1400m).

“Packing Dragon trialled really well,” Poon said. “He’d already had one start this season so he was fitter than some of the others but it was a good effort. I sat one out, one back and then he stayed on with some of those good horses, so I’m happy with him for Wednesday night.

“First-up, he ran fairly at 1400m, which is too short for him. He’s more of a staying horse, he needs more distance and he gets that on Wednesday. He has a good draw in barrier three, so hopefully he can perform like he did last season. He’s still fresh so I think he can go forward, but even if not, he will still stay on.”

That headline trial on 21 September also featured the Frankie Lor-prepared Glorious Artist, who set a track record over 1800m on the Sha Tin dirt in April before again winning on the dirt, this time over 1650m, in May.

Packing Dragon runs third in his recent barrier trial on dirt behind Fifty Fifty and Beauty Generation.

Umberto Rispoli, who scored his first win for the season at Monday’s National Day meeting, takes his first raceday ride aboard Glorious Artist, having partnered the galloper into fifth in his one trial. The rider is slated to partner the Zoffany gelding at two pounds over his allotted 113lb.

“I have to get down to 115lb to ride him, which is not something I do often – I think the last time I rode at 115lb was New Year’s Day – but for him I think it is worth it,” he said. “The day he set that track record, I remember it was a crazy pace and he passed me like a machine. I thought that day, this was a very nice horse. He’s a good ride, he gave me a nice feel in the trial against the big boys. I haven’t sat on him again since then, but knowing Frankie I’m sure he’s progressed.

“He’s a horse who has plenty of speed out of the gates so from gate seven I hope that I can get him into a spot one off the fence, near the speed, and he can run well from there.”

Rispoli says that his ability to get down to a lighter weight helps in the current environment, where opportunities are limited with a full jockey roster.

“The reason I picked him up is because I was walking home and I was thinking about who could potentially ride him with a light weight, and I realised there weren’t many options,” the Italian said. “I thought Karis (Teetan) could potentially take the ride, but he wasn’t available, so I asked Frankie what his plans were – there’s a Class 2 on the dirt at the end of the month and I thought he’d be going there.

“He said this race first though, so hopefully I can ride him Wednesday night – hopefully he can run a decent race – and then he can progress to the dirt where we know he runs so well.”

The night’s feature also includes highly-touted four-year-olds Stimulation (119lb) and Insayshable (118lb), both of which have only had a handful of starts in Hong Kong, as well as course and distance winners Pikachu (117lb) and Sharp Sailor (114lb).

The Kwoon Chung Bus Cup is the seventh of eight races and is scheduled for 10.15pm, with the opener, the Class 5 Kwoon Chung HZMB Services Handicap (1650m), set down for 7.15pm.