Criterion and Red Cadeaux have stepped on to familiar ground for a light work-out at Sha Tin ahead of their clash in the QEII Cup.

Criterion beat the English horse to win last Saturday's Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick and the pair arrived in Hong Kong on Tuesday.

At his first start for trainers David Hayes and Tom Dabernig in December, Criterion finished third in the Hong Kong Cup behind Designs On Rome and Military Attack who will be rivals again on Sunday week.

The much-travelled Red Cadeaux, three times runner-up in the Melbourne Cup, won the 2012 Hong Kong Vase and finished fourth and sixth the following two years.

"The horse is really well," Hayes told the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

"He lost about eight kilos going over which is very good given that he had a race on the Saturday and then the flight on the Monday night.

"I understand Red Cadeaux was exactly the same in terms of weight loss.

"Criterion has been eating up well since he arrived and put that weight back on.

"He'll have his final piece of work on Wednesday morning. He's very fit as it is and he doesn't need a lot of work."

The two were joined on Friday morning by Japanese horse Staphanos who had arrived early in the morning and stretched his legs on the track.

Robin Trevor-Jones, trainer Ed Dunlop's travelling foreman, looked on as the Red Cadeaux had an easy time on the track.

"He travelled great and he's as fit as a flea," he said.

"We just wanted to give him an easy week because he ran last Saturday.

"He'll do a little bit more next week but he's so fit, we don't really need to do much."

The fourth overseas contender, Smoking Sun, will arrive from France on Saturday.