Danon The Kid’s assistant trainer, Keiichiro Yasuda, says this season’s Group One Hong Kong Cup (2,000m) runner-up is in better condition for his rematch with hometown hero Romantic Warrior on Sunday than the Japanese raider was for their clash in December.

Four and a half lengths separated Romantic Warrior and Danon The Kid at the conclusion of the Hong Kong Cup four months ago, with the gap widening as they galloped down Sha Tin’s home straight.

Furthermore, given Danon The Kid’s reputation as a money muncher following his three-win two-year-old campaign that culminated with his Group One Hopeful Stakes (2,000m) victory at Nakayama on Boxing Day in 2020 – he has not won any of his subsequent dozen starts, placing seven times – one could forgive punters for steering clear of him on win lines.

But Yasuda, the son of Danon The Kid’s handler Takayuki Yasuda, believes the now five-year-old entire represents a different proposition on his second visit to Sha Tin than he did on his first.

“He’s in better condition this time than last time,” Yasuda said of Danon The Kid. “Last time, his appetite was down a little bit when he arrived. This time, he’s eating up very well, and his weight is 10 kgs higher.

“He’s very good. He likes Hong Kong very much. He likes the atmosphere here. Last time, we saw the performance of Romantic Warrior, and we thought he was a very strong horse. But our horse is in very good form this time, so we hope he can turn the tables.”

Danon The Kid has raced twice since he beat all bar Romantic Warrior in the Hong Kong Cup and produced mixed results.

“His seasonal debut was a Group Two race over 1,800m, but he didn’t finish well,” Yasuda said of Danon The Kid’s 11th in the Nakayama Kinen. “However, he showed a dramatic change when he ran third in the Osaka Hai and his condition has got better and better since.”

Yuichi Kitamura partnered Danon The Kid in December’s Hong Kong Cup, but for Sunday’s FWD QE II Cup (2,000m) the Yasuda family has turned to a jockey who not only knows Sha Tin like the back of his hand but also enjoys a personal connection with the clan.

“Vincent Ho [Chak-yiu] came to Japan last summer and my father took care of him,” Yasuda said. “Right after we received the invitation for this race, we decided to ask Vincent to ride him.”

The Yasudas have two Champions Day runners, with Aguri contesting the Group One Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1,200m) under Cristian Demuro. Yasuda expects Aguri, a progressive four-year-old who has won four of his past five starts, to derive considerable benefit from his maiden voyage.

“It’s his first time travelling,” Yasuda said of Aguri, whose four-race winning streak ended when he encountered a rain-affected track in the Group One Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1,200m) at Chukyo last month and finished a three-length seventh.

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“He was nervous when he arrived in Hong Kong, but having a stablemate has helped him get used to it. I understand the field for the sprint is quite tough, but I’m quite confident about his condition and chance. He has a lot of room for improvement, so this is going to be a good experience for him.”

Also flying the flag for Japan on Champions Day are two of Danon The Kid’s QE II Cup rivals, Geraldina and Prognosis. Five-year-old mare Geraldina placed sixth behind Danon The Kid in the Osaka Hai, whereas five-year-old stallion Prognosis comes out of the Group Two Kinko Sho (2,000m), which he won by three-quarters of a length. Demuro steers Geraldina, while Zac Purton gets the challenging job aboard Prognosis.

“Zac told me [Prognosis] was very easy to ride [at trackwork], but I told him the horse’s temperament changes at the races,” said Mitsumasa Nakauchida’s stable representative, Yasunari Kiyoyama. “Once goes to the races, he gets edgy and excited, so we’ll have to talk about that with Zac.”