Chautauqua has won two TJ Smiths and a Manikato Stakes under Berry and was probably unlucky to run third in last year's All Aged Stakes, the only other time Berry was in the saddle.

Berry heads to Sha Tin to ride Chautauqua in Sunday's Chairman's Sprint Prize and rates it alongside the top horses he has ridden.

"It's not often you have a record on a horse like I have on Chautauqua – four rides all in group 1 races for three wins," Berry said. "It is probably the best association I have had with a horse.

"I have a good record on Able Friend, I only rode him twice for a couple of wins, and Designs On Rome, but this bloke is a bit special.

"He is probably on par with Able Friend as the best I have ridden, just in front of Designs Of Rome, but also being involved with the Hawkes makes it great.

"It is a great environment to be in the team for the past couple of years and learning off John [Hawkes]. We are all working towards the same thing and it is like being part of a team and family is great."

Chautauqua, which has also won a Lightning Stakes at the top level, earned high praise from John Hawkes earlier this week when he compared his sprinter favourably with Lonhro and Octagonal and he will be ridden the same way as usual, dropped out to the tail of the field and let him find the line.

He is likely to be chasing another Australian in Buffering, which is coming off winning the Al Quoz Sprint

"I'm not going to change the way I ride this bloke and I have talked to John about it. There looks to be plenty of speed, I will just have him where he is happy and let him find his feet," Berry said.

"Everyone knows what he can do when he is ridden like that and he is going to be flying home. I know if I get it right he is going to get it right."

While Chautauqua and Buffering hold a lot of the attention in the Chairman's Sprint Prize, Godolphin's Bow Creek could be ready to cause a shock in the Champion's Mile.

Japanese star Maurice is a short-priced favourite but John O'Shea has been delighted with the way Bow Creek has settled into Hong Kong.

"He is a horse that needs a few things in his favour but we have been really happy with him over here. He has been doing everything right," O'Shea said. "He is going to get the sort of conditions he likes [a firm track] and the race run to suit, so we are expecting to run a very good race."

Meanwhile, Hugh Bowman will look for a group 1 win in a third country for the year when he rides last year's beaten Melbourne Cup favourite Fame Game in the Tenno Sho in Japan. Bowman is currently leading the world's best jockey standings and could extend his advantage with a win over 3200 metres at Kyoto.