Derek Leung Ka-chun hopes some advice from one of the best will hold him in good stead as he bids to pilot Victor The Winner to victory from barrier 10 in Sunday’s Group One Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1,200m).

Like he has done in all seven of his career victories, January’s Group One Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m) winner is expected to lead the 18-runner dash as he bids to repeat Aerovelocity’s heroics from nine years ago.

“I spoke with Ryan Moore and he gave me some advice,” Leung said. “He spoke about the racing here, the track condition and he just said ‘believe in the horse’.

“There’s the stiff uphill finish a bit like Happy Valley, so I’ll have to save a little bit to use it on the uphill. I asked quite a few jockeys who have ridden here and they said to be careful of that. Many horses can chase home on the uphill, so it’s a more important last 100m.”

Danny Shum Chap-shing’s five-year-old had his final hit-out on the Chukyo turf on Friday morning, with Leung in the saddle after returning to Japan on Thursday.

“I galloped Victor The Winner on Tuesday and today he had a strong canter on the turf. He felt good. He didn’t shy away from anything and he wasn’t scared. He just wanted to explore, which is very good. He’s ready,” Leung said of Victor The Winner, who must deal with a left-handed track for the first time in his career.

While the Takamatsunomiya Kinen has been won by horses drawn in single figures in seven of the past 10 years – including Aerovelocity’s triumph in 2015 from gate four – three of the last four victors have defied a wide berth.

Victor The Winner will aim to continue the solid record of Hong Kong-based gallopers in Japan, returning five winners and nine placings from 63 runners.

After Fairy King Prawn became the first Hong Kong-trained horse to win a Group One overseas by snaring the Yasuda Kinen (1,600m) in 2000, Silent Witness completed a successful overseas raid in the Group One Sprinters Stakes (1,200m) at Nakayama in 2005.

Another Tony Cruz-trained galloper in Bullish Luck followed suit in the Yasuda Kinen of 2006, while Ultra Fantasy claimed the Sprinters Stakes in 2010 and Aerovelocity lit up Chukyo in 2015.

Aerovelocity’s Takamatsunomiya Kinen triumph under Zac Purton was not only the last Hong Kong-trained winner of a top-level race in Japan but also remains the last overseas winner of a Japan Racing Association (JRA) Group One contest.

On top of Aerovelocity, Hong Kong trainers have sent three other horses to the contest since the turn of the century.

Disturbingthepeace and Echo Eddie finished 13th and 17th, respectively, in the 2003 renewal, while most recently the Ricky Yiu Poon-fai-trained Blizzard finished fifth six years ago.

Japan is far from an easy place to go as an international raider and Pierre Ng Pang-chi, who accompanied Aerovelocity as assistant trainer to Paul O’Sullivan, appreciates the difficulties of winning in the ultra-competitive jurisdiction.

Tenacious Aerovelocity on top of the world in Japan

“We got the rain that day and it was tough – the horse had to walk for so long before the race,” Ng said of Aerovelocity’s win. “The horse needs a very big heart to overcome 17 Japanese runners.

“They do have tactics over there. You need to be very tough – tough in travelling as well. If the horse has a big heart and he’s strong enough, I think he can overcome that.”

In preparation for Sunday’s feature, Leung will have his first taste of Chukyo racecourse with one ride on Saturday’s programme.