Hong Kong sprinter Lucky Nine has resurrected his prospects in Friday's Group One Manikato Stakes with an impressive gallop at Werribee on Sunday.

The work-out set aside the concerns that emerged from the horse's piece of work at Moonee Valley last week when he appeared sluggish and was hard-pressed to beat a couple of moderately performed partners.

So concerned was trainer Caspar Fownes with what he saw at the Valley that he returned from Hong Kong on Sunday for another look at the horse who shares the world's top international ranking for a sprinter.

But he and jockey Brett Prebble came away with their optimism renewed.

"He's coming along really nicely now, he's starting to be where I want him to be," Fownes said.

"His work this morning was better than what he did on Tuesday. He's still got a way to go fitness wise but he's coming along in the right way.

Prebble, who rode Lucky Nine in both work-outs, said he had made a big improvement and would be ready to run a good race at the Valley on Friday night.

"I gave him a nice piece of work over five furlongs (1000m) and he was very sharp," Prebble said.

"He knows his surroundings now, he was confident in what he was doing and when I asked him to go to top gear he gave me a nice turn of foot.

"And his recovery was a lot better than his last piece of work."

Lucky Nine is a proven international performer having raced well in both Japan and Dubai and at his last start he won the Group One KrisFlyer Sprint in Singapore, beating Victorian galloper Bel Sprinter by three lengths.

While Fownes returned to Hong Kong after the gallop in a better frame of mind, he believes Lucky Nine will go into the Manikato below peak fitness.

"But he'll be spot-on for his second run here," he said.

That comes in the Group One Patinack Farm Classic at Flemington on November 9.