Graham Cunningham suggests Beauty's dip in form could encourage global challenge

It took a little over an hour to eclipse an old star, celebrate a current ace, then hail a new one on a sunny Sunday at Sha Tin.

Beauty Generation is the natural starting point and his claims for a third consecutive Hong Kong Mile success on December 8 were dented again with a second defeat in a month in Waikuku's Jockey Club Mile.

John Moore is adamant he can "tweak things" by December 8 and anoraks of the Hong Kong International Races will recall Good Ba Ba being beaten in the same two races as Beauty Generation before he won his third Mile in 2009. But the jury is clearly out for the moment.

And the champ's lull might well encourage connections of global rivals, such as Japanese star Indy Champ and St James' Palace Stakes and Prix du Moulin winner Circus Maximus, to take a crack at him next month.

Exultant excels ahead of second Vase bid

Waikuku will be 5lb worse off with Beauty Generation in the Hong Kong Mile but his win, swiftly followed by Exultant's decisive success under Zac Purton in the Jockey Club Cup, paid a handsome tribute to the value of Irish imports to Hong Kong.

Exultant has never been flashy but he's extremely functional. This was the fifth time he has run to a Racing Post mark of 120-plus and that sequence includes a rugged 2018 Hong Kong Vase success where his rivals included Cox Plate and Arc winners Lys Gracieux and Waldgeist.

Exultant: the Jockey Club Cup winner has never been flashy but is extremely functionalCredit: Hong Kong Racing Club

It's clear Tony Cruz's gelding has lengths on fellow Hong Kong stayers but this year's international Vase challengers could pose a different question.

Globetrotting Nassau Stakes winner Deirdre showed how effective she can be at Sha Tin with a slightly unlucky second in last year's Cup.

Reports suggest Prince Of Arran and True Self are also Hong Kong bound after their exploits in Australia, while Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck has been mentioned as a possible challenger for Aidan O'Brien.

Almond Eye team face Wednesday decision

With Exultant bound for the Vase over 2,400m, the Hong Kong Cup (2,000m) looks ripe for export and Wednesday is a key day in the process which will decide whether star filly Almond Eye bids to emulate recent Japanese winners such as A Shin Hikari and Maurice.

All will be revealed in a ceremony between races at Happy Valley's midweek fixture but, once again, O'Brien could have a role to play.

Magic Wand is clearly in the form of her life after breaking her Group 1 duck at the 16th attempt in the Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington earlier this month. And, who knows, if O'Brien is really in the mood for magic he might just deal a joker from the pack.

Aethero the new ace in Hong Kong's sprinting pack

It now seems clear that John Moore's view that Aethero could be one of Hong Kong's most exciting horses in years was right on the money.

Aethero: could be one of Hong Kong's most exciting horses in yearsCredit: Hong Kong Jockey Club

The hulking three-year-old was in against five Group 1 winners in the Jockey Club Sprint, four once the wayward Pakistan Star downed tools again. But he dominated from start to finish and would have gone very close to beating the mighty Sacred Kingdom's 2007 track record of 67.5s had Karis Teetan driven him out.

Placed horses Hot King Prawn and Beat The Clock had been off the track for 11 and seven months respectively, and the latter – still never out of the first three in 22 career starts – won't have to shoulder a Group 1 penalty in the Hong Kong Sprint.

That said, Aethero looked the real deal. Small wonder Purton is more than happy to go on Spartan rations to reclaim the ride next month.

Read The Lowdown from 8.30am daily on racingpost.com and the Racing Post app for all the day's going updates, news and tips