It has taken six months, but finally, Youthful Deal will return to his favoured course and distance in Sunday’s Class Two Peninsula Golden Jubilee Challenge Cup (1,200m) on Sha Tin’s all-weather track.

Successful in three consecutive outings over the dirt 1,200m earlier this year, Youthful Deal closed his last campaign and began his current one with uninspiring showings on the turf.

Typhoon Koinu then scuppered the five-year-old’s planned return to this weekend’s course and distance in early October, meaning punters last saw him running eighth over the extended dirt mile.

“I hope he can win. The pace should be really fast in this race, and he’s good on the dirt,” trainer Frankie Lor Fu-chuen said of Youthful Deal, who maps to travel somewhere in midfield under Vincent Ho Chak-yiu from barrier two. “He trialled well, and he looks to have a good chance.”

Lor has entertained the idea of targeting the Group One Dubai Golden Shaheen (1,200m) on World Cup night at Meydan in March with Youthful Deal but knows the 90-rated galloper needs to improve his mark for that contest to enter the equation.

After months of waiting, he is going to find out fairly quickly if a trip to the Middle East is a realistic goal.

“At the end of the month, there’s another 1,200m dirt race, so we will see how he goes in these two races, and then we can decide,” said Lor, who is also expecting a bold showing from Class Four Middle Handicap (1,200m) runner Everyone’s Victory.

“I hope Everyone’s Victory can run well because he’s usually good on the dirt. He’s dropping down to Class Four, but the draw is a little bit tough. I think he should be OK.”

Hall hopes Ace can make Flying transition to dirt: ‘Only one way to find out’

Among Youthful Deal’s opponents are in-form trio Packing Treadmill, Chancheng Prince and Flying Ace, as well as a galloper doing very much the opposite of Lor’s dirt specialist.

All 44 of Xponential’s starts have come on the turf – 15 at Sha Tin and 29 at Happy Valley – but Douglas Whyte has decided the time is right for a change of scenery for the eight-year-old.

“I wish I had a dozen of him in my yard. He’s just the toughest and most honest horse I’ve ever trained,” Whyte said.

“He’s obviously vulnerable on the dirt, but he’s got a light weight, he’s got gate speed, and he’s trialled and worked on it.

“He’s at the ratings band where the programme dictates to you where you run. He’s healthy, and he’s got to have a shot at it. Unless he sits in the box and does nothing, he may as well go out and try and earn some prize money.”

Xponential, who jumps from barrier three under Karis Teetan, is one of six runners for Whyte this weekend as he looks to solidify his hold on second spot in the trainers’ championship.

“I hate second place, I always have, but on the trainers’ premiership, it’s a nice place to be sitting,” Whyte said.

“The stable is turning over nicely. The staff are making a huge difference. We’ve got a nice routine going, and the horses are healthy. They’re presenting well, and they’re performing well. I’m happy with the way things are ticking over.”