Pakistan Star’s dazzle has diminished this season but trainer Tony Cruz is not fazed about taking on Hong Kong’s current leading light in Sunday’s (20 January) G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) at Sha Tin, which he hopes will be a step towards a Dubai assignment.

“Pakistan Star is the only horse that could beat Beauty Generation on Sunday,” Cruz said.

The handler is not underestimating or downplaying the brilliance of Hong Kong’s Horse of the Year, though. His contender was, after all, one of 13 horses on the receiving end of a Beauty Generation thrashing over the course and distance back in October.

But of the six runners in the Stewards’ Cup field, Cruz believes owner Kerm Din’s two-time G1 winner is the one that possesses that touch of brilliance needed to trouble the horse rated the world’s best specialist turf miler.

“Pakistan Star has that fast last quarter, he’s capable of running some really fast times in that last quarter,” Cruz said. “He’s up against a top horse but I think he’ll be right behind him coming into the finish.”

Cruz wants to see Pakistan Star settle in Beauty Generation’s slipstream: “This horse is always best when he comes from behind so we need to ride him quietly.”

The man tasked with delivering the Shamardal gelding’s famous kick is Silvestre de Sousa, back aboard for the fifth time but the first since a fine second in the 2017 G1 QEII Cup (2000m).

“Pakistan Star was never straightforward when I rode him in the past,” the Brazilian said of the infamously complicated galloper. “But he’s changed a lot so now he travels handy and can quicken. A lot will depend on how he jumps out of the gate – I do think a small field will be more suitable for him.”

De Sousa clearly respects Beauty Generation, who is rated seven points superior (127 – 120) to his mount in the international ratings and 12 points better (137 – 125) on the local handicap.

“Beauty Generation is special, no one can take that away from him, but while he’ll be hard to beat, he’s not unbeatable. You never know on the day, but it will take a good horse to beat him – Beauty Generation’s the special one in the race,” De Sousa said.

Will Star sparkle again?

Pakistan Star has not made the frame in his four starts this term and placed sixth off a rough stretch run in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) last month.

“I think he just didn’t quite get home over the mile and a half that day,” Cruz said. “I think he’s better at a mile to 2000 metres – the mile is at the bottom of his range, so it might be a bit on the short side for him on Sunday but I still expect him to run a big race.”

He and De Sousa take heart from the six-year-old’s most recent barrier trial. Pakistan Star travelled on-pace and wide in the 1200m dirt heat and kept on strongly down the straight to finish ahead of a field that included top-class sprinter Beat The Clock in second.

“He won his trial the other day, he showed some early speed that time, and he’s showing that he’s in good form for this,” Cruz said.

“He’ll go to the Hong Kong Gold Cup,” he added, before expounding on his ambitions for a tilt at one of the big races on the Dubai World Cup card at the end of March. Pakistan Star holds entries in the G1 Dubai World Cup (2000m, dirt) and the G1 Dubai Turf (1800, turf).

“I want to take him to Dubai: I believe he can do it. I think he’d be a good traveller, the only thing against him would be that he’s never gone left-handed but he has a good action and a turn-of-foot so I think he’d handle it,” Cruz said.

“I think the 1800m will be the easier race and the distance will be perfect for him – the pace is always on in that race, which is what he wants – so we might go that way.”

Sunday’s Stewards’ Cup is part of a Group 1 double-header along with the Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m), which sees Hong Kong’s big three speedsters, Mr Stunning, D B Pin and Beat The Clock clash again.