Caspar Fownes hopes Straight Arron can “thrive” against a world-class field on his first international mission after impressing the trainer on his final hit-out before the Group One Dubai Turf (1,800m) on March 30.

Straight Arron stretched his legs in a 1,700m turf trial on Friday morning at Happy Valley in preparation for the US$5 million (HK$39 million) contest and led home a field of nine under Hugh Bowman.

Straight Arron will take on local rival Voyage Bubble as well as a host of international stars and Fownes is looking forward to testing his highest-rated galloper against a red-hot field.

“It was a nice trial and he’s in good form,” Fownes said. “He’s on target to run a respectable race for us there. It will be nice to see where he’s at against the best in the world at the trip.

“It’s already great to get an invite to that sort of race – we’ve achieved something there – and now we just need to go and hope he can run in the first four or five and get a result.

“His 1,800m run before his last race with 135 [pounds] was very nice, so he’s proven he’s effective at that distance. While we’re under no illusion of how tough the race is, it will be good to get him away and see how he handles the travel. Hopefully he’ll thrive.”

A total of 15 gallopers make up the likely field for the Dubai Turf, including this season’s Group One Hong Kong Cup (2,000m) runner-up Luxembourg, three-time Group One winner Nashwa and Lord North, who hunts for his fourth consecutive win in the contest.

Straight Arron and Voyage Bubble will leave for Dubai on Tuesday alongside Sight Success and California Spangle, who are set to contest the Group One Al Quoz Sprint (1,200m).

Hong Kong Derby-bound Ka Ying Generation finished a neck behind Straight Arron under Andrea Atzeni in Friday’s turf trial, and the Sardinian rider was pleased with the galloper’s progress ahead of the final leg of the Classic Series.

“I’m happy with him and he finished the trial quite nicely,” Atzeni said. “He seems to have come on after his last run.

“We are trying to teach him to get out of the gates a little bit better. He’s a horse who needs to be quite prominent because he stays very well and you can’t afford to be too far back.

“We know he gets the 2,000m well and if he gets a break and a good pitch, I think he can run a very big race [in the Derby].”