In the midst of a mini-drought, David Hayes is banking on Rubylot to change his luck when the emerging four-year-old tackles Saturday’s Class Two Panasonic Cup (1,400m) at Sha Tin.

After a hot start to the season propelled him to the championship lead last month, Hayes has failed to strike from his past 36 runners across five meetings and slipped to third in the title race.

The Australian trainer, who has notched nine placings in that streak, takes a team of nine to Saturday’s meeting with Rubylot bidding for a third straight victory.

Rubylot finished last term with a sensational last-to-first performance over 1,400m in June and was just as impressive first up in September, rattling home late to score in a Class Three over 1,200m.

The son of Rubick dealt fellow four-year-old Bottomuptogether the first defeat of his career when he gunned down the $1.5 favourite by half a length.

Rising to Class Two level for the first time, Rubylot strikes a hot field including the unbeaten Packing Hermod, Bottomuptogether, Sunlight Power and last-start winners Green N White and Drombeg Banner.

“He’s done well since his last win, which was good,” Hayes said.

“It’s his first try in open company but he’s a progressive, young horse, so hopefully he can run well off the light weight. It’s a strong race, so we’ll see if he’s up to them.”

One of nine Panasonic Cup runners on the bottom weight of 115 pounds, Rubylot will be ridden by Alexis Badel for the first time and jumps from gate six.

He is one of several Hayes-trained four-year-olds bound for January’s Classic Mile, the first leg of the four-year-old series.

“I think Ka Ying Rising will be my best [Classic Mile chance], but probably outside him, [Rubylot] is probably the most progressive at the moment,” Hayes said.

“He’s got the rating to be in it and he looks like a miler. I hope he runs a big one on Saturday.”

In Saturday’s other Class Two, the Panasonic Japan Made System Kitchen Handicap (1,000m), Hayes concedes his representative Tomodachi Kokoroe faces a tough task against exciting sprinter Wunderbar.

A four-time Happy Valley winner, Tomodachi Kokoroe races down the 1,000m straight for the first time after returning with a gutsy fourth to Copartner Prance at the city circuit last month.

“I thought it was a really good run the other day – four wide the trip, looked the winner at the 50m mark and just faded,” Hayes said.

“His trial down the straight was excellent. It will be pretty hard to beat Wunderbar, but he should run well.

“I think he’s pretty good from 1,000m to 1,400m. He’s a good, consistent horse, but he’s probably on his rating. He’ll just hover around there and hopefully he can pick up a race or two.”

Karis Teetan will ride Tomodachi Kokoroe, a barnstorming winner of a 1,000m straight trial at Sha Tin before his Valley run.

The John Size-trained Wunderbar chases a seventh win at start eight on Saturday, while Group Three National Day Cup (1,000m) runner-up Magic Control will also be a formidable opponent in the race.

Hayes is also hopeful Star Mac can break through for his first Hong Kong win in the Class Three Panasonic Thermo Ventilator Handicap (1,600m) on the back of an impressive dead-heat second behind Bravehearts last start.

“He only just missed,” Hayes said. “His best is good enough to win that, he’s just got to show he’s consistent.”

Third behind Helios Express in last season’s Classic Mile, Star Mac has flashed potential in the city but fallen short of winning with four placings from 13 starts.

Precision Goal, Circuit Jolly, Affordable, Mojave Desert, Storm Rider and Celestial Harmony are Hayes’ other runners on Saturday.