There’s added expectation that comes with being a Hong Kong Derby winner and so far the jury remains very much out as to whether Massive Sovereign can graduate from feted four-year-old to Group One-winning gun.

Superb against his own age in March’s Derby, Massive Sovereign didn’t fire a shot in April’s Group One QE II Cup (2,000m) or May’s Group One Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m) and he will need to improve significantly to be a genuine elite-level player this campaign.

Dennis Yip Chor-hong’s galloper does, however, find what looks an ideal starting point for his 2024-25 campaign in Sunday’s Group Three Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse (1,800m) at Sha Tin.

“They do one or the other. They either continue on the journey that they’re on, or that’s their day in the sun and they end up in Class Two,” said jockey Zac Purton, who has been aboard for all four of Massive Sovereign’s Hong Kong starts and will pilot the son of No Nay Never from gate two on Sunday.

“This weekend is going to give us a feel of which way he is going to go. What I can say is that he’s flying and he feels amazing in the mornings. His trials have been good.

“He’s given every indication that he’s in really good form. Dennis has done a great job with him. But it’s up to the horse now to show us whether he’s up to it. We’ll find out between now and December. We’ve got six weeks until we know where he’s really at.”

Formerly named Broadhurst and trained by Aidan O’Brien, Massive Sovereign faces 13 rivals on Sunday – the first full field in a Hong Kong Group race since February – and his performance will go a long way to determining which race he tackles at December’s Longines Hong Kong International Races.

“My feeling is that he’s going toward the 2,000m at the moment, but it’s not set in stone,” Purton said of a potential meeting with Romantic Warrior in the HK$40 million Group One Hong Kong Cup.

“We can pivot on that. He’s got the right weight and it looks like the speed should be genuine enough. Whatever happens, there’s no excuses for him. He’s in really good form. It’s up to him now to turn up.”

Rated 107 after an enormous 25-point hit for his Derby victory, Massive Sovereign carries 123 pounds in the Ladies’ Purse and will lock horns with the likes of Beauty Joy, defending champion Encountered, Chancheng Glory and Five G Patch.

Beauty Joy, who was a narrow second behind Galaxy Patch in June’s Group Three Premier Plate (1,800m), carries top weight of 135 pounds and will be ridden by Hugh Bowman from gate six.

“He’s one of the most consistent horses in Hong Kong. He’s a horse I rode a lot when I first arrived in Hong Kong and he’s a horse I really enjoy riding,” said Bowman.

“He’s a horse that finds it difficult to win races as he has to give formidable opposition a weight allowance and when he gets weight relief, he’s up against horses that are simply too good for him.

“He’s an ultra-consistent horse, he doesn’t run a bad race and I think 1,800m is his pet distance.”