Jamie Kah pinched last year’s Classic Mile off the front aboard Voyage Bubble and Lyle Hewitson hopes to orchestrate a similar heist in this year’s edition of the race at Sha Tin on Sunday.

While the John Size-trained Helios Express is all the rage ahead of the first leg of the four-year-old series, Chancheng Glory will make his own luck from gate four and is proven at the course and distance after reeling off four consecutive victories over Sha Tin’s mile earlier this season.

“I see myself in front, although Moments In Time also has possible leading claims, so we’re going to have to suss that one out. But my horse is a galloper and he can sustain a good tempo, so we will go forward and see what sort of pressure is put on us. He will definitely be on the pointy end,” Hewitson said of a galloper he has partnered to success on three occasions.

Chancheng Glory enters the Classic Mile off a rating of 79 and while he’s yet to run over further than eight furlongs, Hewitson expects the Francis Lui Kin-wai-trained son of Mor Spirit to go deep into the four-year-old series.

“I’m happy to be sticking with him, especially as he’s a horse who’ll be consistent in each leg of the four-year-old series,” the jockey said.

“He’s been good to me and hopefully that can continue. Hopefully he continues to perform well and I think he’ll handle each distance perfectly well.”

Chancheng Glory is one of two Lui-trained runners in the nine-strong Classic Mile field, with the veteran local trainer acquiring the services of French jockey Mickael Barzalona to partner Speed Dragon.

While Hewitson is well and truly familiar with his Classic Mile mount, he joins forces with Sword Point for the first time in the Group Three Centenary Vase (1,800m).

Disappointing under Hugh Bowman in the Group Three January Cup (1,800m) at Happy Valley last start, Hewitson hopes a return to Sha Tin will extract the best out of Sword Point in a race featuring the likes of Straight Arron, Encountered and Happy Together.

“I was glad to get the call a couple of weeks ago to get aboard him. He’s a Group-performed horse and overall his form is good,” Hewitson said of the 105-rated gelding.

“If you put a line through his last run, he’s been a marvel here. It’s really good to be aboard a classy galloper like him and he’s certainly capable of producing despite giving weight to some of this rivals down the bottom.”

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Hewitson has eight rides on Sunday’s 10-race programme as he looks to shake a nagging drought that has seen him marooned on 99 Hong Kong winners since January 10.

“It’ll be fantastic to ride 100 winners in Hong Kong but it’s not like it’s a big focus of mine. I’m more just frustrated that I haven’t got the winners, but I guess it’s just one of those things. Hopefully the new month brings many winners,” he said.