For a brief moment in December’s Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m), Hugh Bowman thought he was a chance of ending champion sprinter Ka Ying Rising’s winning streak aboard Helios Express.

“Mid-race I sort of thought I was travelling so well, I had the track bias in my favour and I started to think I’m going to blouse down the outside and win at the 500m mark,” Bowman said.

“Of course, he battled home for fifth. It was probably his worst result since he’s raced against Ka Ying Rising.”

That result gave Bowman the blueprint for Helios Express in future clashes with Ka Ying Rising – ride his horse to his strength, which is to settle back and save him for a late finishing burst.

Bowman had the John Size-trained gelding just behind midfield approaching the turn and poised to strike when making his run down the outside, which was the superior ground that day with the rail being off.

In his three runs since, Helios Express has finished second behind the all-conquering Ka Ying Rising and Bowman knows that is his best realistic finishing position again in Sunday’s Group One Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1,200m).

“My point is if I go out there and try to upset Ka Ying Rising, it’s going to have more detriment to Helios Express than it is to Ka Ying Rising,” Bowman said.

“Without studying the race with a fine-tooth comb yet, Helios has a certain pattern – he’s got a devastating finish if I ride him for it, so that’s what we’ll do and we’ll see what happens.”

Ka Ying Rising bids for a record-extending 20th consecutive victory against seven rivals, which also include Japan’s Satono Reve and Irish galloper Comanche Brave.

Bowman is much more optimistic about a Group One victory on Sunday aboard My Wish, who tackles the Champions Mile after a fast-finishing second to Lucky Sweynesse in the Group Two Chairman’s Trophy (1,600m) last start.

“I was really, really pleased with My Wish in the lead-up race. I thought the way he jumped out of the barriers and settled into that nice rhythm, his turn of foot was exceptional and I think that’s his biggest asset – his ability to quicken up and his finishing speed,” Bowman said.

“He has to be ridden accordingly to produce that and I think from barrier 10, I feel like the race is going to set up well for him to produce a very strong finish.”

Like Helios Express, My Wish will be ridden conservatively on Sunday and Bowman believes there will be more speed in what shapes as the most open of the three Group One contests.

“We’ve got a couple of foreign horses, which always adds a bit of spice, and initially when we drew 10, I wasn’t sure whether I was happy with that or not,” the Australian ace said.

“But when I looked at it more and started to feel how the horses around him might fit into the running pattern, I do feel like some of those outside horses have no choice but to roll forward, if there going to be winning chances. So, I think that will suit my horse’s style. I won’t be one of those doing that – I’ll be riding him more conservatively. But we still need the race run in a particular way and the track to be fair as well.”

My Wish ran fourth to Bowman’s mount Red Lion in last year’s Champions Mile.

Bowman labelled Little Paradise, a brilliant winner of February’s Classic Mile, “the most interesting horse in the race”.

“He’s coming back from 2,000m to the mile and he’s got the choice barrier,” he said of the Jimmy Ting Koon-ho-trained gelding, who jumps from gate two.

“He’s got to turn his preparation around a little bit, but he showed in the Classic Mile what he’s capable of doing.”

Bowman’s other Group One ride on Sunday is Rubylot, who will start one of the outsiders in the star-studded QEII Cup (2,000m).

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