Graham Cunningham's expert analysis of the stars on show at Sha Tin on Sunday

One way or another, the strength of the home team for next month's Longines Hong Kong International Races will become much clearer at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Beauty Generation needs to bounce back from a first defeat in 18 months under Zac Purton to reestablish his credentials for a third consecutive Hong Kong Mile success.

Purton is also on Hong Kong's champion middle-distance stayer Exultant and the pair face a stern test against up-and-coming Rise High as Tony Cruz's stable star builds towards a defence of his Hong Kong Vase.

And the shape of Hong Kong's 1,200m division is ripe for a major shake-up if young guns such as Aethero and Regency Legend can master hardened Group 1 winners Beat The Clock and Mr Stunning.

The Jockey Club Sprint, Mile and Cup – live on Sky Sports Racing from 6.45 GMT – provide a chance for racing to get back on track after the loss of Wednesday's Happy Valley fixture due to civil unrest.

History relates that 22 horses who raced on this card in the last decade have gone on to HKIR glory three weeks later. But the fact this is widely regarded as a trials day – albeit one with over £1.2m on offer – is backed up by the fact that only five dress rehearsal winners managed to follow up on the big day.

Weight swing suggests Beauty can bounce back in Jockey Club Mile

South African trainer Tony Millard sums up his decision to take on Beauty Generation in Sunday's Jockey Club Mile (6.45) by saying that "things change and champions can turn into has-beens overnight".

Silvestre de Sousa: gets the leg up on Elusive StateCredit: Edward Whitaker

Millard gives the returning Silvestre de Sousa the leg up on Elusive State but the prolific all-weather winner has it all to do at the weights and this Group 2 surely turns on round three of a tussle between Beauty G and Waikuku.

Rise High lands the Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy

Waikuku had the edge when the pair filled the places in the Sha Tin Trophy last month but Beauty Generation seemed heavily compromised by an uneven gallop that day and is 13lb better off this time.

It will be fascinating to see whether the punters who sent Beauty G off at 1.3 four weeks ago keep faith after that shock defeat.

On reflection, he didn't deserve to be so short giving a stone and more to ten smart rivals. But in a small field with just a 5lb penalty for his Group 1 exploits, he deserves to be heavy odds-on this time around.

All Rise for Hong Kong's 'next big thing'

Rise High was the horse who mastered Waikuku and Beauty Generation last month and the horse Caspar Fownes describes as "Hong Kong's next big thing" has the opportunity to prove his trainer right in an absorbing duel with Exultant in the Jockey Club Cup (7.15).

Rise High: 'Hong Kong's next big thing,' according to trainer Caspar FownesCredit: The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Exultant has thrived since finishing second in this race last year, winning three Group 1s, and Cruz feels his ex-Irish gelding is "tuned up and much stronger than last season" after a promising reappearance behind the Fownes-trained Southern Legend two weeks ago.

The latest in a long-running series of duels between battling brothers Time Warp and Glorious Forever should ensure a true gallop and that scenario is tailor made to bring Exultant's deep reserves of stamina into play.

However, Rise High also showed himself a strong stayer when coming from well back to chase Exultant home at level weights in a Group 1 over 2,400m in the spring.

The former Ken Condon galloper has performed career-best efforts on each of his last three starts and the 5lb he receives from Exultant could be just be enough to tip the scales his way in what promises to be a compelling scrap.

Giant flying under the radar in red hot Jockey Club Sprint

The fact that eight of the last nine winners of the Jockey Club Sprint (7.50) have been beaten in the Hong Kong Sprint on their next start provides a clear hint that this a race which certain trainers see as the means to an end.

Mr Stunning was the only horse to do the double but whether he can win under a Group 1 penalty after a long injury break remains to be seen.

Reigning champion sprinter Beat The Clock is another with the Group 1 penalty after a lengthy break, while fellow John Size runners Hot King Prawn and D B Pin are also returning from lay-offs.

Aethero: the buzz around him has been relentlessCredit: Hong Kong Jockey Club

Logic suggests this could be the day for an improver to shake up the established stars and the unbeaten Regency Legend and powerhouse three-year-old Aethero are bound to corner a sizeable slice of the market.

Both youngsters have looked potentially high class, and the buzz around Aethero has been relentless, but that sort of noise tends to add up to a short price and Little Giant might just creep under the radar as a result.

David Hall's gelding was a good fourth in last year's Hong Kong Sprint and ended last season better than ever with an impressive Group 3 success.

He should be primed to peak after a blowout over 1,000m and a repeat of his best gives him every chance of being bang there at a decent price under Alexis Badel.

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