Francis Lui Kin-wai is confident he has the leading chance in Friday’s Classic Mile as he prepares a four-strong assault on the first leg of the four-year-old series.

Lui last tasted success in the Classic Mile five years ago with the mighty Golden Sixty and saddles Packing Hermod, Cap Ferrat, Divano and Call Me Glorious in his bid to secure the HK$13 million contest at Sha Tin.

Packing Hermod has collected four wins from six starts and dominated discussions in the lead up to the race, with Zac Purton siding with the son of Rubick as he chases an elusive first Classic Mile victory.

The 93-rated gelding jumps from barrier six in Friday’s assignment and it’s fair to say his trainer isn’t arguing with any of the hype.

“He’s doing well. Of course, he is the one I expect to be hard to beat when you look at how he’s performed so far, but we will see,” Lui said.

“I think the mile will be OK for him now he’s more relaxed and he keeps improving a little bit with every run. Hopefully he can run well.”

Packing Hermod immediately announced himself as an early Classic Series contender with two destructive 1,200m wins from as many starts last season.

He continued his rise on seasonal reappearance with another explosive success over six furlongs before experiencing his first defeat over 1,400m at Class Two level in November.

He found only Green N White too strong in the Panasonic Cup but bounced back with a last-gasp victory under Joao Moreira on December 8.

Packing Hermod’s most recent test saw him hit the line with plenty of conviction to finish a length and a half back in fourth behind Rubylot, who concedes a seven-pound swing to Lui’s galloper on Friday.

After being tasked with defying gates 12, 9, 10 and 11 this term, Packing Hermod will have the added benefit of jumping from barrier six in the 14-runner field.

He has one of his three stablemates drawn on his inside, with Cap Ferrat handed barrier three as he looks to take out the Classic Mile on only his second run in the city.

Cap Ferrat was twice placed over 2,000m at Group One level during his pre-import career in Australia and he announced himself in Hong Kong with an eye-catching second at Sha Tin in December.

Forced to carry 135 pounds in his first Hong Kong start over 1,600m, Cap Ferrat found traffic at the top of the straight but kept on well to finish second to fellow Classic Mile hope Mickley.

While Lui expects the son of Snitzel to be seen to best effect over further, the 66-year-old believes he can be competitive at a mile.

“He’s done well after his first run and I think he’ll being running on at the finish. He’s probably my next best [chance],” Lui said.

“Weighing him up [against the others], he’s got more racing experience than Packing Hermod and he’s a bit more mature from what he’s done in Australia. When you look at that form, maybe longer distances will suit him more. But fresh, we thought a mile would be OK for him here.”

Regarding the chances of Divano, who jumps from the outside gate under Blake Shinn, and Call Me Glorious, who has Matthew Chadwick in the saddle from barrier five, Lui says the distance presents “a bit of a question mark” for them.

Aside from the Classic Mile, Lui will also chase Group Three success on the card with Chancheng Glory in the Centenary Vase (1,800m).

After the galloper was by no means disgraced in a pair of Group One contests over a mile, Lui hopes he will appreciate stepping into these calmer waters.

“This Group Three will suit him a lot better than a Group One,” Lui said. “If I don’t run him, there’s no race for him, so let’s hope he can put in another good performance.”