Trainer Danny Shum Chap-shing is hopeful one more gallop will have Victor The Winner “spot on” for the Group One Sprinters Stakes (1,200m) in Japan after the six-year-old stretched out nicely in a Sha Tin trial on Thursday morning.

Prominent throughout the 1,200m all-weather hit-out, Victor The Winner was asked for something late by jockey Derek Leung Ka-chun and crossed the line in front.

“He needed that trial,” Shum said of last season’s Group One Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m) winner.

“He’s not 100 per cent yet but he’ll have one more turf gallop in Japan and he’ll be spot on.”

While Leung was aboard for Victor The Winner’s Group One success and his third in March’s Group One Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1,200m) at Chukyo, it will be Joao Moreira in the saddle come September 29’s Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama.

“Moreira knows the track, he knows Japan racing and he knows the horses. And, of course, he’s very good,” Shum said of the brilliant Brazilian.

Behind Victor The Winner in Thursday’s trial was fellow Sprinters Stakes runner Mugen, who made ground nicely from the back of the field to please handler Pierre Ng Pang-chi.

“Mugen just had a quiet trial to see where he’s at and we’re pretty happy with him. He’s had three trials now and he should be fit enough for the race,” said Ng, who also sent Galaxy Patch around as he continues to build towards his return in next month’s Group Two Sha Tin Trophy (1,600m).

“Galaxy Patch still has time and he’ll have one or two more trials. He’s getting fitter after being off for a while.

“We just did the usual thing with him – tried to keep him relaxed so he could pick up in the straight and he finished off well enough.”

Shum and Ng have had contrasting starts to the season, with the former assuming an early lead in the trainers’ premiership with consecutive doubles and the latter enduring a string of near misses.

Shum will bid to continue his fast start with five runners at Sha Tin this Sunday, with a couple of his better chances taking to the all-weather track.

Shanghai Style will chase consecutive wins at the course and distance in the Class Four Hing Wah Handicap (1,200m), while Packing Bole returns to the dirt for the Class Three Oi Tung Handicap (1,200m) after a win and a second from two starts on the surface last season.

After falling agonisingly short of winning the title last term, Ng has had five placings without tasting success across the first two meetings, but he has identified the galloper he hopes can change that.

“Hopefully Aeroinvincible can do the job,” said Ng. “I don’t mind [the near-misses] too much. The horses are running well and they should be raring to go second up.”

A winner of one of six starts in his debut season, Aeroinvincible will look to hit the ground running under Zac Purton in the Class Four Mei Tung Handicap (1,400m).