The value of the form on Dubai World Cup night is put on the line this afternoon when Presvis leads a stellar cast of Meydan performers in the Champions Mile in Hong Kong.
Luca Cumani's enigmatic Dubai Duty Free winner is joined in the contest by Musir, last season's dual UAE Classic victor, who is trained by Mike De Kock.
Included in the home defence of the Dh5.6 million prize is the Tony Cruz-trained Beauty Flash, who finished down in eighth place to Presvis at Meydan racecourse last month, and Sunny King, who finished in third place behind Rocket Man in the Golden Shaheen for John Moore.
No visiting horse has ever won the Group 1 Champions Mile since the race was opened to international challengers back in 2005.
Cumani and De Kock, however, are two of the leading practitioners in international racing.
Cumani saddled Presvis to win the QE II Cup at Sha Tin in 2009 and Falbrav to victory in the Hong Kong Cup in 2003. The South African has tasted success in the special administrative region with Irridescence, Archipenko and Eagle Mountain.
Both Presvis and Musir are taking a step back in trip from their exertions in Dubai. The move will better suit Musir, as four of his five successes have come at the mile distance or shorter.
"There are a few question marks as Musir drops back in trip and returns to turf," De Kock told The National.
"I suppose it is fair to say he's better at a mile and the run behind Skysurfers in the Firebreak worked out very well as he went on to win the Godolphin Mile.
"He's got that good acceleration and turf shouldn't be a problem either as he goes very well on Tapeta, and Tapeta is very similar to turf."
Presvis, who is the highest-rated challenger, has never won at a mile and a fast pace is essential to the seven-year-old's success.
Cumani had entered his charge in the QEII on Sunday, but when he saw the declarations, and that regular jockey Ryan Moore would be engaged in England, he changed his mind.
"By running Presvis in the Mile and not the QEII I can have Ryan on board," Cumani said.
"What's more, there seems to be no pace in the QEII whereas in the Mile there are at least two front- runners."
De Kock also noted that the dual Champions Mile winner Able One likes to force the speed and that Beauty Flash, who is drawn widest of all the 14 runners, will have to tack across in front to have any chance at all of being first across the finish line.
"There are two to three horses who look to be gas but I'm not convinced," he said.
"In races like these it does not always work out like that - nobody wants to force the pace for the others."
"If Able One gets an uncontested lead it will be slow, so we've got to hope Beauty Flash goes with him from the outside draw."
