Douglas Whyte is hoping Violet Star can “throw himself a lifeline” into Classic Cup (1,800m) and Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) contention when he takes on fellow Classic Series hopefuls at Sha Tin on Sunday.

The Class Three Yau Oi Handicap (1,800m) is set to be an informative affair, with Whyte’s import taking on the likes of Dazzling Fit, Aerodynamics, Flow Water Flow, Fortune Boy and Packing Fighter, who will all have aspirations towards the final two races of the four-year-old series.

The Irish shipper was a winner over 2,000m at Navan in April last year on his fourth start, before finishing down the field in the Class Two Golden Gates Handicap (1,993m) two runs later, with Seraph Gabriel finishing second.

Violet Star made his Hong Kong debut two weeks ago, lashing home to finish fifth in the Class Three Tennis Handicap (1,600m), shaping with a huge amount of promise in the process.

Violet Star will break from stall seven on Sunday and Whyte is hoping he can show enough to put himself in the conversation for the final two legs of the Classic Series, including the Classic Cup on March 1.

“His first up run was good and promising – he’s being thrown in the deep end on Sunday over 1,800m, but if he handles it and runs well we’ll take it from there,” said Whyte when asked about his Classic Series credentials.

“From what he did first up and what he’s done at home since, he looks progressive. He’s definitely come on from his first run. I sat on him on Wednesday morning and he was working really well.

“Look, he’d have to put in a really good sight of himself on Sunday, but if he does then he’s a live hope [of making the Classic Cup]. He’s rated 68 and he’d probably need to win to throw himself a lifeline, but he’s a nice horse going forward.”

The race will see several horses needing victories to inflate their ratings sufficiently to make the rest of the four-year-old series, with John Size’s Flow Water Flow perhaps needing it the most given his rating of 63.

He was built on previous promise when thundering home to win over the mile on his most recent start and he will relish the 1,800m trip, while Pierre Ng Pang-chi’s Irish import Packing Fighter (64) also needs rating points if he is to enter the conversation.

David Eustace will be hoping for a big effort from Dazzling Fit (75), a three-time winner who skipped the first leg of the series in favour of the Classic Cup, while Mark Newnham’s Aerodynamics (75) is another with big aspirations after a neck second to Patch Of Cosmo on just his second Hong Kong start.