The history of Sha Tin's international day preludes is littered with upsets, but trainer John Moore believes rivals hoping Able Friend will be underdone or somehow vulnerable in tomorrow's Jockey Club Mile will be sorely disappointed.

It was a Moore-trained runner that caused perhaps the biggest shock of recent times when outsider Destined For Glory nailed odds-on favourite Ambitious Dragon right on the line in the 2011 Jockey Club Mile, but this time around the shoe will be on the other foot.

Able Friend, shooting for his eighth straight win on home soil, will be at similarly short odds after returning in devastating fashion a month ago in the Premier Bowl (1,200m).

Even though Moore's main aim for Able Friend is a second straight Hong Kong Mile on December 13, Moore said his six-year-old was ready to produce a career-best run right now.

"He has never been better," was the trainer's ominous warning to those plotting his horse's downfall or predicting a subpar performance from the superstar.

Able Friend never does anything spectacular in trackwork but a leisurely 800m breeze-up down the back straight in 50.4 seconds with jockey Joao Moreira aboard was enough to have Moore, if not the horse, jumping out of his skin.

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"Judging by the huge smile on Joao's face this horse is not far off. He is very close to peak fitness. Going off his work this morning, I expect him to win, and then it is on to international day," he said.

"I know him so well now, we are the best of mates. I spend a lot of time looking at him in the stable and I can just see from his demeanour and the way he moves around that he is so different to last season.

"Even though he had a setback this season, it was only a muscle strain and not as bad as the issue that bothered him last year.

"He is absolutely thriving."

Moore will saddle up five of the nine runners in tomorrow's Group Two, including former horse of the year Designs On Rome, who worked on the all-weather track with Class Four stablemate Sure Peace.

"He worked very well," Moore said of the 2014 Derby winner, who hasn't raced since undergoing surgery on both front fetlocks late last season.

"We all know after surgery that you'll never be 100 per cent the same, but the one thing he has in his favour is that he doesn't like getting beaten. That's probably his greatest attribute, knowing where the winning post is and just being able to grind out a result.

"I can see him running a big race and getting to the line really strongly. I'd be delighted if he could run second, third or fourth - it would be a very good lead-in to international day."

Designs On Rome is being aimed at a second straight Hong Kong Cup but he could be joined by stablemate Dan Excel, a Group One winner at 2,000m and fourth in the 2012 Hong Kong Cup.

"Dan Excel's best performances have been at a mile here, but I think we will step him up in trip after this.

"It has been hard to get the weight off him and he will be better for this run.

"Rewarding Hero is one I really think has turned the corner and I can see an improved run from him."