Last Sunday’s Group One Sprinters Stakes (1,200m) in Japan was further proof of how hard it is for Hong Kong gallopers that aren’t quite in the top tier to win abroad.

While Victor The Winner is a Group One Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m) victor and Mugen has risen through the sprinting ranks to win at Group Three level, they are not in the same category as the city’s most recent overseas winners, Romantic Warrior and California Spangle.

Victor The Winner was solid in defeat, finishing sixth behind Lugal. With a better draw than barrier 14 and a more evenly run race than what took place, with Puro Magic setting a breakneck speed in front, a top three or four finish would have been realistic.

Lining up for his second crack at Group One level after running third to Invincible Sage in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1,200m), Mugen struggled in 13th.

Trainer Pierre Ng Pang-chi noted he wasn’t comfortable pre-race or in running on the unique Nakayama track. The fact he was down 14 pounds in actual weight on his last run in June, despite a summer break, suggested he might not have been at his best.

Sprinting isn’t Japanese racing’s strength, but they can not be underestimated on their home tracks.

Only two Hong Kong sprinters have conquered the Sprinters Stakes - the legendary Silent Witness (2005) and Ultra Fantasy (2010), who was not quite a top-tier talent but caused an upset at 31-1.

Japan’s other Group One sprint, the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1,200m), has only been won once by a Hong Kong sprinter - Aerovelocity in 2015. Victor The Winner ran third in that race earlier this year.

Last season, other Hong Kong representatives below the level of Romantic Warrior and California Spangle fell short in overseas raids.

On Dubai World Cup night, Sight Success ran fifth behind California Spangle in the Group One Al Quoz Sprint (1,200m) and Straight Arron was sixth in the Group One Dubai Turf (1,800m). Voyage Bubble was a well-beaten 13th in the same race and 17th in the Group One Yasuda Kinen (1,600m), though he had excuses in both defeats.

There are rare occasions when such gallopers taste unexpected success abroad, including Ultra Fantasy.

Australian mare Asfoora was considered just below the top level of sprinters in her home country, having won multiple Group Two and Group Three features but falling short in Group One company.

Connections gambled on an overseas bid at Royal Ascot in June and the move paid off. While the strength of her rivals in the Group One King Charles III Stakes (1,000m) was questionable, no one can deny how big a task she faced travelling to the other side of the world.

There are still plenty of positives to be taken from overseas raids. They provide a point of difference from horses repeatedly running in the same local races.

Trainers who achieve success abroad are viewed in a different light. Owners enjoy the thrill of following their gallopers to different countries and it is also a great learning experience for stable staff. Danny Shum Chap-shing learned the ropes of travelling horses overseas under Ivan Allan and credited his former boss when Romantic Warrior won in Australia and Japan last season. Ng was Paul O’Sullivan’s assistant trainer when he travelled to Japan with Aerovelocity nine years ago.

Ultimately, winning in another country is one of racing’s biggest challenges and one usually reserved for the best gallopers.

That is a stern test Lugal could face, should the Sprinters Stakes hero take the logical path to the Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) on international day in December.