“It’s lovely to have had good success, and this is another step at the big international meetings, and I’m excited to see how it goes. Comanche Brave is a nice horse who seems to be improving,” O’Brien said.

“He was third in the Abu Dhabi Gold Cup (Listed, 1600m) and then third in the 1351 Turf Sprint (G2, 1351m) but I’ve always wanted to have a go back at sprint trips with him. He shows a lot of pace at home but he kept running well at a mile. We’ve just got to bite the bullet now, come back to six furlongs (1200m), and see how we go.”

O’Brien’s admiration for Hong Kong’s great champion is clear.

“We are under no illusions; Ka Ying Rising is an absolute machine. He’s done nothing but impress me in everything I’ve seen him do. He’s so tactical; he just looks rock solid.

“He’s got that early pace and then he relaxes, especially around a track he knows so well. There doesn’t seem to be any chink in his armour. It’s a big task we face to beat him, but it looks like it’s not going to be a full field, and there’s very good prizemoney in behind him.

“At the end of the day, they are all thoroughbreds; they can all have ‘off’ days. Sure, if you’re not in it, you can’t win,” he added.

Comanche Brave was sold earlier this year by Sue Magnier and Annemarie O’Brien (Donnacha’s mother) to owner Muhaideb A Almuhaideb, whose colours the four-year-old carried in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in February. The owner will be represented on race day at Sha Tin by associate Khalid Mishref.

The Wootton Bassett colt has won two of his 11 starts and was placed in the G3 Jersey Stakes (1400m) at Royal Ascot last year. O’Brien had the final optimistic word: “He’s travelled well in his races, he’s never looked like he’s been lacking speed. And the form of that Saudi race now looks very strong.”