Karis Teetan is excited to continue his partnership with Patch Of Theta when the exciting galloper chases Group One glory in the Stewards’ Cup (1,600m) at Sha Tin on January 19.

The Mauritian jockey answered the call to ride Francis Lui Kin-wai’s prolific winner off a light weight of 115 pounds in the Group Three Chinese Club Challenge Cup (1,400m) on New Year’s Day, booting him home for a dominant victory on his first test in a feature race.

Capitalising on the weight advantage, the son of Zoustar ran on from fourth to easily account for Drombeg Banner by a length and three-quarters, prompting Lui to set him for the Stewards’ Cup.

Teetan said Patch Of Theta has the potential to handle another big test in the first leg of Hong Kong’s Triple Crown on Sunday week.

“I’ve got a good record on him now, I’m two-for-two,” Teetan said.

“He’s an improving horse and he won pretty nicely last time. Obviously the weight was to his advantage and the race set up well for him, but I still feel like he’s a horse that can improve.”

Teetan won on Patch Of Theta in March last year but the emerging talent was then ridden by Hugh Bowman, Vincent Ho Chak-yiu and Derek Leung Ka-chun.

With six wins from 14 starts, Patch Of Theta has soared from a mark of 52 to 108 ahead of his first challenge at the elite level.

He will clash with the city’s top miler and reigning Stewards’ Cup hero, Voyage Bubble, Galaxy Patch and Group One victors Beauty Eternal and California Spangle.

The Lui-trained Chancheng Glory, Red Lion, Beauty Joy and The Golden Scenery round out entries for the feature.

Meanwhile, Ka Ying Rising headlines eight entries for the Group One Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m) on January 19 and the star sprinter will warm up for his next assignment in a Sha Tin trial on Thursday.

Beauty Waves, Helios Express, Howdeepisyourlove, Invincible Sage, Lucky With You, Magic Control and Victor The Winner will take on the David Hayes-trained Ka Ying Rising, who landed his first Group One triumph in the Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) on December 8.

Australian jockey Craig Williams has been booked to ride Cody Mo Wai-kit’s Magic Control, who was narrowly beaten by Howdeepisyourlove when second in the Group Three Bauhinia Sprint Trophy (1,000m) on New Year’s Day.

It will be Williams’ first ride in Hong Kong since March 2019. He will be out to add to his only Group One victory in the city – the Hong Kong Vase (2,400m) on Dunaden in 2011.