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As trainer Patrick Shaw prepares to head to Hong Kong, his first thoughts will be with the Group 3 $175,000 Proinn Construct Stakes over 1700m on the Polytrack on Friday night.
Shaw will saddle three runners in the final feature event of the 2011 season before flying out the next day for Hong Kong to oversee the final stages of Rocket Man's preparation for the Group 1 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint over 1200m at Sha Tin on December 11.
He will be represented by Jamal Malik (Barend Vorster), Thundering Jet (Olivier Placais) and South Easter (Koh Teck Huat) in Friday night's race.
And he's hoping it will be a similar result to the first feature event of the year where he claimed victory with Escamonda in the Group 3 New Year Cup back on January 2.
Along the way Shaw also collected victories in the Group 1 Lion City Cup, the International Group 1 KrisFlyer International Sprint, the Group 2 Stewards' Cup, the Group 3 Paititi Gold Trophy and the Group 3 Woodlands Handicap along with semi-feature success in the Causeway Classic Stakes on top of the Group 1 victory he claimed with Rocket Man in the Dubai Golden Shaheen in March.
And Shaw is also on the verge of claiming his first Singapore Trainer's Premiership as he leads six-time champion trainer Laurie Laxon by 10 winners (74-64) with just six meetings of the season to go.
It certainly has been a successful season for Shaw who also has the highest winning strike rate at 15.74%.
“At this stage Jamal Malik would have to be the pick of my three runners,” said Shaw.
“I just feel the other two will possibly need the run. We are aiming them at the New Year Cup where they will join Lizarre (runner-up in the Longines Singapore Gold Cup) in the race.
“Jamal Malik is in good form at present but I am a little concerned with the weight he has to carry.
“He has to give a very good horse like Parfumier 2kg which won't be an easy task for him but he does like the Polytrack and I think the 1700m should suit him although it is about as far as he wants.
“He's had a good season this year. He can go for a break after this, freshen up and then we will bring him back next year.”
Jamal Malik has been a consistent performer throughout the year, starting the season with a second to stablemate Escamonda in the New Year Cup on January 2.
He scored his biggest win of the year in the Group 2 Stewards' Cup in June where he toppled Better Than Ever and comes into the Proinn Construct Stakes as a last start winner over 1600m on the turf back on November 13.
Thundering Jet has had just the one run since August 11, finishing a 10.9 length fifth behind Jamal Malik on November 13 over 1600m while South Easter hasn't raced since finishing fifth behind Martial Art over 2200m on September 23.
