David Hayes is concerned Star Mac’s habit of starting poorly could thwart him in the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2,000m), but the champion trainer remains confident his charge can pose a big threat in Sunday’s prized feature.

Star Mac has left the barriers slowly in almost all of his six starts but has shown potential, unleashing a sharp turn of foot from back in his races to indicate he will run a strong 2,000m in the Derby.

The son of Heroic Valour put the writing on the wall in the two lead-up races to the Derby, finishing strongly for third in the Classic Mile and fourth in the Classic Cup (1,800m) behind nominal Derby favourite Helios Express.

Chasing his second win in the HK$26 million feature after top filly Elegant Fashion won in 2003, Hayes said Star Mac will thrive stepping up in distance and in front of a bumper crowd at Sha Tin.

“With his lovely, quiet temperament, I think the atmosphere before the race with the huge crowd, it might affect some but it won’t affect him,” Hayes said.

“It might even help him and fire him up a bit. His weakness, if he’s got a weakness, is that he’s slow out of the gates. He’s not a fast beginner.

“Hopefully with a bit more experience he’s getting better, but that is the one concern going into the race. If he jumps slow, we just let it unfold and produce him for the last 600m.”

Hayes is also hopeful of a stronger speed in the city’s most prestigious race, lamenting slow tempos in the Classic Mile and Classic Cup.

“I think in the two lead-up races, his runs have been really good but too short and not enough tempo,” he said.

“The combination of too short and not enough tempo has made it very hard for him. Hopefully in the Derby the tempo will be better, but certainly the distance will suit him.

“Some of the major opposition might pull themselves out of the race if they’re going slow and if they go fast, they might not stay.

“My fella, if they go slow it will make it harder to pick up, but he won’t over-race.”

Karis Teetan, who won the Derby on Romantic Warrior in 2022, will ride Star Mac.

In other Derby news, Jockey Club chief steward Marc van Gestel has confirmed Helios Express is sound and showing no signs of the infection he suffered last week.

Before fully turning his attention to Sunday’s big race, Hayes has a team of six runners engaged at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, including last-start winners Strongest Boy and Samarkand.

The Australian handler has high hopes for Strongest Boy, who jumps from barrier one in the second section of the Class Four Percival Handicap (1,650m).

“He drew barrier [six last start] and I’m pleased to see he’s got barrier one this time,” Hayes said.

“He’s been a very consistent horse who has drawn a lot of bad barriers and had to get back too far. He’ll love being inside horses and not being dragged back to last.”

Meanwhile, Victor The Winner has impressed in his first gallop at Chukyo on Tuesday morning ahead of his Japanese Group One assignment this weekend.

Derek Leung Ka-chun flew to Japan to ride Danny Shum Chap-shing’s sprinter in the gallop before Sunday’s Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1,200m).

“He was interested in everything and was looking around, but when I asked him [for an effort] in the last 200m, he gave me a good feel and everything was good,” Leung said.

Victor The Winner earned a trip to Japan with a dominant victory in the Group One Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m) at Sha Tin last start.