John Size-trained Amazing Kids had to play second fiddle to Fabulous One on international day but the talented gelding can end that horse's winning streak in the Pearce Memorial Challenge Cup (1,200m) at Sha Tin today.

Fabulous One (Zac Purton) gets a real acid test of his future prospects this afternoon, with a weight turnaround in favour of Amazing Kids (Brett Prebble) but a barrier switch that is even more important.

Fabulous One had looked something of a talented lunatic last season but the Chris So Wai-yin-trained bay has returned a different animal this term and marched up the ratings with four successive wins.

The key to him has been getting the lead and then applying mid-race pressure, with the final 800m of his four wins run in under 46 seconds and, in the last three wins, the fastest section of the race being around the bend from the 800m to the 400m.

That burst of speed has effectively buried the nearest to him and put Fabulous One a long way in front of his strongest pursuers from the back of the field by the 200m and none equal to the task of hauling him in.

And that was the scenario when he and Amazing Kids met last time.

From barrier 12, Amazing Kids didn't really have an option but to drop back early and he spent most of the race six or seven lengths behind Fabulous One.

In the run down the home straight, Amazing Kids slashed that back to less than two lengths as he roared into second and a scan of his final sectionals shows that he can be expected to finish his race probably half a second or more faster than Fabulous One.

Moving to barrier one today, Amazing Kids should have a closer position chasing the pacemakers, perhaps as the third horse along the rail, and if he is there and getting clear room as the field straightens up then the leader is in big trouble.

Amazing Kids already meets him nine pounds better at the weights so add another two or three lengths better on the map and it's a serious turnaround.

Fabulous One has looked headed for the top grades in his wins but the same is no less true of Amazing Kids, who has looked a Group horse since he began in March last year, holds a two from two record over talented Strathmore and his defeat last time was his first at 1,200m.

The fact that both of them have big handicaps does leave the door ajar for a surprise but the best of their rivals, Born In China (Douglas Whyte) also has a good horse's weight and a very awkward-looking draw.