Tony Cruz is pinning his hopes on a pair of progressive runners as he attempts to win the Classic Mile for the first time in nearly a decade at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Cruz was last successful in the race with Beauty Only in 2015 and has come close on a couple of occasions since, most notably when California Spangle finished second to Romantic Warrior in 2022.

This year the trainer is represented by Fallon and Beauty Crescent and in the smallest Classic Mile field since Golden Sixty was victorious in 2020, a lack of runners could prove beneficial for the former.

A son of Galileo Gold, Fallon has raced at the rear of the field in all five of his races in Hong Kong and has shown some remarkable improvement in his past two starts, winning both after passing most of his rivals in the Sha Tin straight.

Those victories may not have surprised Cruz but they did shock punters, with the horse sent off at $69 and $15 for those wins under Keith Yeung Ming-lun, who keeps the ride for the first leg of the four-year-old series.

Cruz was quick to give Yeung the credit for Fallon’s latest win but knows horse and jockey face a far tougher test this weekend

“It’s not a handicap, so it’s a test of the ability of the horse now,” Cruz said. “Last time he ran he was off a light weight but you still have to give credit to the jockey as he rode a perfect race.”

There is only one runner in the Classic Mile rated lower than Fallon, who has a mark of 74, and Cruz knows his charge has plenty to find against the long-time favourite.

“It looks like Helios Express will be a hard one to beat,” Cruz said. “He’s got the time and everything. He’s rated 102 and we’re rated 74. That’s a big gap, but I believe my horse is more of a staying type and I believe he’ll get 2,000m. I don’t think 1,600m is the perfect distance for him.”

Beauty Crescent, rated 80, will be Andrea Atzeni’s first ride in the Classic Mile and Cruz is backing the son of Acclamation to stay the trip as he steps up to 1,600m for the first time

“He’s always running into trouble but I think he’s got a chance as well,” Cruz said. “I believe he can get out to a mile.”

The Group Three Centenary Vase (1,800m) also takes place this weekend and Cruz has nearly a quarter of the field with three of the 14 runners.

La City Blanche, Champion Dragon and Five G Patch are all set to represent the legendary handler, but it’s clear who he thinks is his best chance.

“The thing about La City Blanche is he doesn’t seem to like Sha Tin very much,” Cruz said.

“He’s much happier at Happy Valley and I think Champion Dragon has a better shot. It’s a bit short for Five G Patch and he’ll be going to the Group One Gold Cup [over 2,000m on February 25].”