Hong Kong's Champion Stayer Liberator returns to the fray for his seasonal bow in the HKG3 Sa Sa Ladies' Purse (Handicap) over 1800m at Sha Tin on Sunday, 14 October, when he is set to carry top-weight of 133lbs in the field of 14.
The five-year-old, twice a course and distance winner, improved for the step up to longer distances last term and capped a progressive season with victory from Horse of The Year Ambitious Dragon in the HKG1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup over 2400m in May.
"Liberator's doing fine," said Ferraris. "He's got top-weight and he will probably just need a race or two to reach his peak fitness. We don't have many races to prepare these stayers and the fact it's a handicap means that he has a huge amount of weight, which is not ideal but he's a Group 1 horse and he won't disgrace himself."
Liberator, who is being aimed at the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m) on 9 December, is set to lock horns once again with Dominant (130lbs). The John Moore-trained contender was third in the Champions & Chater Cup and heads to the Sa Sa Ladies' Purse off the back of a sixth place on his seasonal debut over 1400m at the course on 1 October.
Moore has a talented quartet engaged, the others being Dan Excel (121lbs), Same World (114lbs) and Packing Whiz (126lbs), who landed a Class 2 over 1600m at Sha Tin for his seasonal return on 1 October.
Former Champion Miler, Beauty Flash (123lbs), is one of two Tony Cruz-trained entries alongside Packing Tycoon (109lbs). The former finds himself on his lowest mark since November, 2009, and has shown in two starts this term that he retains a fair level of ability.
Danny Shum is set to saddle the up-and-coming Scarlet Camellia (116lbs), while the remaining entries are the David Hall-trained Familists (130lbs), who looked in good order when winning a barrier trail last week, the John Size-trained pair of Voile Rouge (122lbs) and Fulfil A Wish (116lbs), the Andreas Schutz-trained Little Dreams (120lbs) and Sapelli (116lbs), and the Manfred Man-trained Distill (113lbs).
