Two of Britain`s hopes for the big Hong Kong International meeting at Sha Tin on December 17 pleased their connections in a work-out on Southwell`s all-weather track on Wednesday.
Eastern Purple, who takes up the gauntlet in the Hong Kong Sprint, and a lead horse were joined in a six-furlong breeze by Sugarfoot who runs in the Hong Kong Mile.
Eastern Purple`s trainer Kevin Ryan said: 'He was ridden by Mark Birch and Emma Ramsden rode the other horse _ they went a nice pace and picked up over the last three without getting too serious.
'He will probably have another gallop there after racing next week when there is a crowd just to give him that bit of an edge and I will probably take four or five others horses with him.
'When he was a colt he was very hard to get ready but now he has been gelded he is a lot easier to prepare. But we will leave a bit in the tank for when we get over there.
'I have spoken to Basil Marcus who gets on well with the horse and is a top man in Hong Kong.
'He has said he will ride Eastern Purple so we are pleased about that and we are looking forward to the trip.'
Trainer Nigel Tinkler was happy with Sugarfoot and said: 'It is marvellous to have been invited again.
'We did not take him 12 months ago because he had had a hard season and we wanted to keep him for this year.
'Everything is on course, he did a nice breeze. I was more than happy with him and he is in tip-top form.
'He is a very sound horse and we are delighted that John Reid will ride him again out there.
'He has ridden him in his recent races and it helps to have a bit of continuity.'
