The Hong Kong International Races have come and gone, and with a host of exciting youngsters set to line up on Saturday’s 10-event card at Sha Tin, all roads lead to this season’s Classic Series.

After making promising starts to their careers in Hong Kong, Caspar Fownes-trained galloper Awesome Fluke and John Size-prepared two-time winner Ensued will aim to strengthen their Classic Series credentials in the Class Two Yan Chai Trophy (2,000m).

Awesome Fluke notched three victories in his 13 Australian races for Sydney-based handler John O’Shea, with his final pre-import run resulting in his Group Two WATC Derby (2,400m) triumph at Ascot in Perth on April 8.

Third on his first Hong Kong start in the Class Three Salisbury Handicap (1,400m) on December 3, Awesome Fluke hit the line with plenty of conviction to finish fourth in the Class Three Jim And Tonic Handicap (1,800m) seven days later.

Awesome Fluke will step up to 2,000m in Saturday’s feature, and Fownes, who tasted Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) successes with Super Satin in 2010 and Sky Darci in 2021, is excited to see the son of Awesome Rock over the extended trip.

“He looks like a proper stayer. In his first two runs, he ran with merit, and now he’s up in class and down in weight,” Fownes said. “He’s a dude at home, very quiet, and a very straightforward horse. However, it’s going to be quite testing for him, and he hasn’t been helped with being drawn 10 out of 10.”

Currently rated 78, Awesome Fluke has improved one point from his assigned rating of 77, and Fownes hopes the galloper can continue to advance ahead of his primary target on March 24.

“Realistically, the Derby appeals most for him in terms of distance, but he’s got to be getting up in the ratings to show that he’s a proper Derby horse,” Fownes said. “He’s fit, and we’re looking forward to it. Hopefully, he can run in the first three or four and make it into the series.”

Awesome Fluke will team up with Andrea Atzeni for the first time – the Italian jockey has indicated he will weigh out two pounds over his mount’s allocated weight of 115 pounds – and face nine rivals, including a couple of Hong Kong Group One placegetters, Tourbillon Diamond and Five G Patch, and another potential Classic Series contender, Ensued.

Formerly with Newmarket-based conditioner James Fanshawe, Ensued placed on two of his three appearances in the United Kingdom before arriving in Hong Kong six months ago. The son of Lemon Drop Kid required little time to adjust to Size’s training methods and saluted in the Class Three Sha Kok Handicap (1,800m) on his city debut in October.

Stretching out to 2,000m five weeks later, Ensued narrowly prevailed in the Class Three BOC Credit Card Handicap (2,000m) before failing to land a blow in seventh behind fourth-placed Awesome Fluke last time.

With Brenton Avdulla, who rode Ensued in his past two races, away from Hong Kong over the Christmas period, Size has booked Karis Teetan to hop aboard the three-year-old gelding.

Elsewhere on Saturday’s programme, 14 Classic Series-eligible gallopers will wage war in the Class Four (Restricted) Erica Handicap (1,400m), with Benno Yung Tin-pang bidding to record back-to-back victories in the contest when he introduces debutant Hero Warrior. Yung won last season’s corresponding event with another newcomer, Forerunner.