2023 G1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) winner Without A Fight and Mark Zahra can look forward to going the shortest way round in Sunday’s HK$24 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (8 December) after joint-trainer Sam Freedman drew stall one at Thursday’s (5 December) barrier ceremony.

“When we first had him up in Queensland, jockey Mark Zahra said he was always looking for the rail so he won’t have that to worry about from one,” said Freedman.

After a long absence following his Melbourne Cup success, Without A Fight ran a comeback full of promise when third to Via Sistina in the G1 VRC Champions Stakes (2000m).

Freedman added: “He’s certainly tightened up and improved for it as you would expect. He had a nice trial at home before he got on the flight. He’s a well-travelled horse and he’s handled the trip very well.”

“Everyone (at home) is very excited and it’s important for the Melbourne Cup, to showcase it on the world stage. “

Among his more fancied opposition Japanese challenger Stellenbosch must overcome stall 13 of 13 in a race where the draw perhaps plays less of an important role than in some of Sunday’s other features.

Trainer Sakae Kunieda never made it to Hong Kong with the mighty Almond Eye after she spiked a fever on the eve of travelling for the 2019 G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m), but comes here with Stellenbosch, a filly who has placed 1-2-3 in the three legs of Japan’s Triple Tiara series this season.

Of the choice of the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase at 2400 metres, Kunieda said: “She has gradually matured and now she can stay long distances. Her mind has settled down and she has become easy to control so 2400 metres is suitable.

“I’m a little concerned with the outside draw but I’m sure (Joao) Moreira can control the situation and look to take Stellenbosch inside, mid-pack, while she has a strong finish.”

Compatriot Pradaria fared better and will break from gate two under Cristian Demuro, while the majority of the strong Anglo-Irish contingent will be pretty happy, with Giavellotto in five, Dubai Honour drawn six and the Ballydoyle pair, Continuous and Luxembourg, berthed in seven and nine, respectively.

Dubai Honour and Marquisat have the chance to further enhance the form of the Grand G2 Prix de Chantilly (2400m), the pair having split last season’s LONGINES Hong Kong Vase hero Junko and future G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2400m) winner Goliath in a race that could look unusually influential come Sunday.

Among the last to know their fate were connections of the two French-trained challengers, and while Mickael Barzalona will have to chart a course on Marquisat from 12 – one inside Stellenbosch – Iresine and Marie Velon were handed stall four.

Jean-Pierre Gauvin sent up his brother Jean-Paul – a noted trainer of trotting (harness racing) horses – to do the honours for the draw and his sibling returned from the stage with a beaming smile.

Gauvin freely admits that a softer track than Iresine will encounter on Sunday would enhance the seven-year-old’s chances, but was delighted with the options that stall four offers to Marie Velon.

“The draw is ideal and my brother has a real feeling for the number four,” said Gauvin. “He said beforehand that was his preference and so the planets have aligned in that respect.”

Gauvin has ridden Iresine in all his trackwork this week and earlier eased the handbrake off gently as the son of Manduro slipped past his lead horse on the all-weather.

“Today was the right day to let Iresine stretch out a bit; yesterday would have been too early,” said Gauvin. “He’s been better each day and as he’s quite a fresh horse, he gave me the sign he wanted to go a bit faster today.”

While the headlines have been dominated by the internationals in the build-up to the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase, four horses will attempt to defend local honour.

Five G Patch has Group 1 form at this 2400 metre trip having finished second – albeit seven and a half lengths adrift – to globetrotting Rebel’s Romance in the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup, and will break from stall 11.

Unproven at the trip is Ensued, who won the G3 Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse Handicap (1800m) two starts ago, before proving no match for Romantic Warrior when fourth in the G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup (2000m).

After being handed stall eight, trainer John Size said of James McDonald’s mount: “I think it’s probably an interesting exercise to actually see if he will run that far.

“There’s a lot of horses that we imagine can get further and they don’t, so you can’t prove that until they have done it.

“If he can run the 2400 metres reasonably well then it means there are some options for him in the future.”