Winner Method has all the makings of a high-class horse – the talent is not in question – but he showed he’s got the requisite level of determination as well after a tough victory at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Looking to extend his undefeated run to three, punters launched into Danny Shum Chap-shing’s smart youngster, sending him out a $1.35 favourite for the Class Three Lai Chi Chong Handicap (1,000m), but they would’ve been very anxious halfway through the race.

After settling just off the speed, Winner Method looked to be in trouble when Zac Purton had to shake him up, but the raw three-year-old responded to the Australian’s urgings, rallying under pressure to overhaul Brilliant Fortune (Joao Moreira), much to the relief of his supporters who jumped in at the short quote.

While pleased with the result, the manner of the performance has his trainer wondering what distance he will tackle next time out.

“He’s a good horse, no doubt, but he’s given me a headache now,” Shum said. “Do I put him to 1,200m or stick to the 1,000m?

“You can see the last 400m, Zac really had to get stuck in to make him go, which means they were going too fast. The time was really good, 55.24 [seconds] – 1.1 faster than standard time – so that’s amazing for a horse with three starts.

“So now I’ve got a good problem on my hands. I need to really study the film and work out what to do.”

Zac Purton hopeful Winner Method can help him continue purple patch

Purton was also impressed by Winner’s Method’s ability to respond when asked and he might have the answer to Shum’s question, suggesting a step-up in trip could be just the trick for the son of Deep Field.

“He had to dig deep for it,” the four-time champion jockey said. “There was a little bit of [a tail] wind today, which helped, but he was never in his rhythm. He was always under pressure, he was struggling to keep up and then he was gone a long way out.

“I really had to start riding him hard and I was just hoping I could stay in touch with Joao because I thought his horse would be soft on the line and my horse would be strong.

“It was just a matter of staying in touch and, slowly but surely, we got there. I think the horse’s class got him there but I think he might be looking for further now.”

Shum remains optimistic Winner Method still has a lot more upside.

“For me, his condition is just 85 per cent – he’s not 100 per cent yet – but he’s got ability, no doubt,” he said.

“When you see him in his trials, he still throws his head around, he’s still got a lot of improvement to come.”