Dubai: Dubai Duty Free (Group 1) winner Presvis heads a strong trio of international raiders who will bid to put an end to locally-trained horses' dominance in today's BMW Champions Mile (Group 1), the third leg of the rich Asian Mile Challenge series at Hong Kong's Sha Tin racecourse.
Luca Cumani's globe-trotting star is joined by last year's UAE Derby winner Musir, who is trained by South Africa's Mike de Kock, and Robert Collet's French hope Royal Bench.
Royal Bench was 2 1/2 lengths fourth to Presvis on his last start at Meydan last month while Musir finished just three lengths behind Japan's Victoire Pisa in the $10 million (Dh36.7 million) Dubai World Cup.
Today's Mile has attracted a full field of 14 runners and is being billed as the strongest ever in its history.
Hong Kong-trained horses have won all four running since the race was elevated to international status in 2007, but that record appears to be under threat.
Presvis is no stranger to success at Sha Tin racecourse, having won the QEII Cup (Group 1) in 2009. He returns to Hong Kong seemingly in the form of his life. A seven-year-old by Sakhee Presvis has won eight of his 21 starts for Cumani dating back to 2008.
Talking about his horse's latest quest, the Italian said on his website: "Presvis has been working and training very well since he's arrived in Hong Kong, which is no surprise given he knows the place well now, this being his fourth visit.
"So long as there is sufficient pace a repeat of the form he showed in the Dubai Duty Free should be good enough."
Presvis qualifies for the Asian Mile bonus having won the Dubai Duty Free last month, but will have to cope with a drop in trip for the first time in almost three years.
Cumani explains: "This is the third leg of the Asian Mile Challenge, the world's richest series of mile races.
"With him having already won the second leg, the Dubai Duty Free, the bonus he is eligible for if he is the top points earner in the series made the drop back to a mile the logical thing to do.
"Ryan [Moore] is available to ride which wouldn't have been the case if he'd run in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup on Saturday week, and we've believed for some time anyway he will be just as effective back at the shorter trip."
Main rivals
Among Presvis's main rivals are the winners of the last two Champions Miles, Able One, who won in 2010 and 2007, and 2009 winner Sight Winner.
New Zealand-bred Able One finished a decent eighth in a Group 3 sprint prep for today's race.
Sight Winner, also bred in New Zealand, is seeking to break a 21-race jinx since his Champions Mile victory.
