June 15 - It's always sad for horseracing fans and trainers alike when a racehorse with lots of promise loses its form overnight, like the Casper Fownes-trained 4-year-old Hong Kong runner, Horace's Choice, who, after a great start in January, suddenly became very mediocre.

Just six months ago, Horace's Choice ran an excellent race to finish second in the Hong Kong Classic Mile (Group 1), and had the Hong Kong horseracing community abuzz with good things to come. In reality, the former Woodland Stud galloper's form left him after the race.

It seemed as if his gutsy performance had taken something out of the galloper, highlighted only too well by two subsequent lack-luster performances in the Derby Trial and the Derby itself, both of which were won by Sha Tin Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) winner, Helene Mascot.

At a loss to explain Horace's Choice's poor performance, Fownes entered Horace's Choice into two additional races, this time in Group 2. Both, however, failed to coax any kind of performance from the thoroughbred, although in fairness there were various factors involved.

For instance, Horace's Choice second ast start, ridden by the able Jacky Tong, was thwarted after he was squeezed off the barrier, remaining off the track throughout most of race, which resulted in him finishing at the back of pack 7 3/4 lengths off the race winner, Carizzo Creek.

This week however, Horace's Choice regained a little of his former glory when he won a 4-horse race in Hong Kong, that saw him just beat out My Choice, ridden by Howard Cheng, with Dim Sum a close third and One World managing a scrappy fourth.

It will be interesting to see if the troubled 4-year-old is back on track, or if his recent win was his last hurrah.