Fast Network looked to have his fair share of excuses when beaten as an odds-on favourite last weekend and Dennis Yip Chor-hong is confident his gelding can make amends on Sunday in the Class Two Poinsettia Handicap (1,200m).

The four-year-old, sent off at $1.3 under Zac Purton, had to overcome a wide draw over Sha Tin’s straight course and faced an uphill battle when he was squeezed out at the start.

Forced to settle towards the rear of the field in the centre of the track, Fast Network made progress from the middle stages but it was too late as Stellar Express hugged the rail and kept on well.

Yip’s improving speedster faces strong opposition on Sunday as he steps up to 1,200m for the first time, with Matthew Poon Ming-fai taking the ride from barrier nine.

“Last week he was unlucky,” Yip said. “As he jumped out the gate, he was squeezed by the other horses and had to go back.

“I would have preferred if he could sit in fourth or fifth, but after that he had to go back. Although that happened, he ran on well and I was happy with him, so let’s see how Sunday goes.

“It’s his first time over 1,200m so the draw is very important, but I don’t think the distance will be a problem at all.”

After his impressive victory on debut last season, Fast Network made it two wins from as many outings with a dominant success first up on the opening day of the 2024-25 campaign.

While he found plenty of traffic in the final 300m and was beaten at $1.7 on his next start, the son of Wrote bounced back with an emphatic four-and-a-half length victory on November 17.

Fast Network travelled powerfully throughout and exploded to a third career win, which saw him handed a 13-point rise in the ratings to his current mark of 82.

He drops 10 pounds from his latest outing to 119, with Poon taking off a further two pounds in the saddle.

The 31-year-old jockey takes over from Purton, who has partnered Fast Network in all of his five starts but rides John Size’s Wunderbar at the weekend.

Yip will be looking to continue his momentum after landing his second double of the 2024-25 campaign on Wednesday’s dirt card thanks to the victories of Yeaboi and $44 outsider Young Brilliant.

He takes a team of four to Sunday’s 10-race card with Fire Ball, Euro Rocks and Phoenix Light also representing his stable.

Elsewhere, the 57-year-old handler is breathing a sigh of relief after his stable star Massive Sovereign came through his surgery to his left hind fetlock in good shape.

Last season’s Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) hero was forced to miss the Group One Hong Kong Cup (2,000m) after suffering an injury at the beginning of the month.

Yip says the four-year-old will have an easy few weeks before plotting his next target.

“He’s OK,” Yip said. “I think he’ll have a few weeks of rest and then he can go back to work. I’m not sure which race he’ll go for next, we’ll see how he recovers then see.”