Hong Kong diary: Graham Cunningham on two rockets set for lift off at Sha Tin

Some locals are calling it the battle of the rockets but one of Hong Kong’s most exciting young sprinters will come down to earth when Voyage Warrior and Aethero clash in the Wo Tik Handicap (10.10) at Sha Tin on Saturday.

On one launchpad is Ricky Yiu’s flashy chestnut Voyage Warrior, a quicksilver front-runner who won three from four last year and looked in rare form when running away from useful rivals in a recent barrier trial.

Looming large in his slipstream will be heavyweight three-year-old Aethero, dubbed a potential superstar by trainer John Moore and out to restore a reputation dented when he lost his unbeaten record on his Class 2 debut recently.

The buzz around the two up-and-comers has prompted talk that the mighty Sacred Kingdom’s 1,000m track record of 54.70s set in 2007 could be under threat and Moore and Yiu are doing little to dampen expectations.

Sacred record under threat if track rides fast

Yiu, who trained Sacred Kingdom, says he is “pretty sure” Voyage Warrior will dip under 55 seconds if Sha Tin’s straight track continues to ride as fast as it has in recent weeks.

Moore is “hoping for a tailwind so they can get down into 54 seconds.” And Zac Purton, who committed to Voyage Warrior before Aethero was rerouted to this Class 2, is giving relatively little away as two of the most talked about youngsters in Hong Kong finally meet.

Voyage Warrior looked terrific in his trial, while Aethero attempts to bounce back from a stressful experience only last week which saw him bumped badly as the stalls opened and was too fractious to be scoped by Hong Kong Jockey Club vets afterwards.

The one thing that looks assured is that Voyage Warrior and the aggressive front-runner Multimillion will ensure a blazing gallop. That may well lay foundations for one of the rockets to blast clear. It might also open the door for a couple of much longer priced runners to come calling late.

Rapid pace could be lucky for Seven

Former British winners Seven Heavens and Red Desert shouldn’t be discounted if the leaders dip below the 33-second mark for the first three furlongs.

British racing fans will recall Seven Heavens showing smart form for John Gosden a couple of years ago and the Frankel gelding has run well without winning several times since arriving in Hong Kong, recording two of his best efforts when coming from off the pace in fast-run races over course and distance.

Seven Heavens: still waiting for first success in Hong KongCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

It would come as no great surprise to see him put up a similar effort from a good draw under talented lightweight Keith Yeung, while the progressive Red Desert, who won twice for Roger Charlton when known as Catan, is another with the potential to outrun long odds if a punishing early gallop ends up taking a toll on the market leaders.

Harmony poised to hit right notes

Second guessing the motives behind jockey switches in Hong Kong can be a risky business but Purton’s presence on Harmony Victory in the Tsuen Fu Handicap (9.05) looks notable.

Danny Shum’s gelding was a dual Group 1 winner in Brazil and has made a solid start in Hong Kong, winning twice and catching the eye by recording the fastest closing 400m split of the day when fourth over 1,600m here on his reappearance.

Zac Purton: booking for ride on Harmony Victory catches the eyeCredit: Aitor Alcalde (Getty Images)

King Opie ran out a game winner that day but was given a canny ride in a steadily run race by Karis Teetan and will do well to repeat the dose from a 5lb higher mark.

Star Performance was also just ahead of Harmony Victory in third and remains open to improvement with Joao Moreira aboard on what is just his third run in Hong Kong.

However, Harmony Victory has several key things in his favour this time. The return to 1,800m is a plus – as is the presence of front-runners such as Mission Tycoon and Helene Leadingstar – and with Purton in the plate for the first time everything looks in place for a strong performance.

All to play for as Generation game continues

The debate over who is the world’s best racehorse often generates more heat than light nowadays and this year’s title is open after the latest edition of the Longines international rankings.

Waldgeist has joined Enable on 128 after ending her golden run in last week’s Arc, while the recently retired Crystal Ocean has moved up 1lb to the same mark without even running, presumably because the assessors have taken a retrospective look at the King George form.

Beauty Generation: could stage bid to become the world's best horse in the coming weeksCredit: Hong Kong Jockey Club

Hovering close behind the co-leaders is Hong Kong's leading horse Beauty Generation, now back on his 2018 best mark of 127 after extending his winning streak to ten on his reappearance in the Celebration Cup at Sha Tin last week.

Time will tell if we see Enable and Waldgeist on the track again, but Beauty Generation’s season is only just starting.

John Moore’s master miler will attempt to give lumps of weight to some very smart rivals in the Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy on October 20. If he captures that Group 2 handicap for the third year running, then there might just be a new leader when the next rankings are published on November 14.

Members can read JA McGrath's tips for Saturday's Sha Tin meeting from 6pm on Friday on racingpost.com