The confidence level rose for Jim Cassidy in Hong Kong on Friday, if such a thing is possible.

The always-extroverted Cassidy was merely a grandstand observer of the easy workout given to his Hong Kong Sprint mount Sea Siren, but it was more than enough to please the veteran jockey.

"She looks incredible and she'll run the same," Cassidy said.

"I don't think I've seen her look better or fitter, they've done a super job with her over here."

Sea Siren will be attempting to end an 11-year drought for Australian in Sunday's race and will be one of the favourites in an event that has become dominated by local gallopers.

Outside Sea Siren, the Sprint is shaping as a tight contest between last year's winner Lucky Nine from Hong Kong, Singaporean Super Easy and Lord Kanaloa and Curren Chan from Japan.

None of them, however, has impressed as much as the John O'Shea-trained mare.

A "perfect" gallop on Thursday was followed on Friday by a light canter on the all-weather track for Sea Siren that left O'Shea even more pleased than he already was.

"It's all gone perfectly. She's ready," O'Shea said.

While Sea Siren is bidding to become the first Australian-trained winner of the Sprint since Falvelon scored the second of his two victories in 2001, the Australian presence in the race has traditionally been significant.

The nine winners who followed Falvelon were all Australian-bred, the Australian jockeys Darren Beadman and Brett Prebble have ridden four of the past six winners and three of the past 10 were trained by Hong Kong-based Aussies.

The presence is maintained in this year's event with six of the 12 runners having been bred in Australia and with four of them trained by expatriate Australian John Moore who is by far the most prolific trainer in the four international races with 11 runners engaged.