Frankie Lor Fu-chuen is looking to the addition of the hood to help his rising star Regal Gem as he stretches out to the mile for the first time in the Class Two Neptune Handicap (1,650m) at Happy Valley on Tuesday night.

After suffering defeats in his first four Hong Kong starts, Regal Gem has proved a revelation since getting off the mark at Happy Valley in July over the 1,200m distance.

Bumping into a runaway winner on reappearance this campaign, the Zoustar galloper has not looked back since, rattling off a pair of 1,200m wins at the city circuit with strong late bursts.

Most recently, he had no issue with defying top weight and some traffic congestion in Class Three company, and he now steps up to Class Two level at the 1,650m distance.

There will be plenty of questions for the British import - who was a dual winner for Tony Coyle and Kaine Wood - to answer, including a change of rider, with his regular partner Derek Leung Ka-chun suspended.

“There were no Class Two 1,200m races in the programme, so we need to try 1,650m,” said Lor. I have put the hood on to help him relax. I think the pace should be good with some fast horses in the race.

“Derek is suspended, so I’ve put Zac on. If he can relax in the early stages, I think he can run the mile.”

Should Regal Gem answer the mile question, it would open up plenty of options for the rest of the season, including the Classic Series.

Rated 83 ahead of his run on Tuesday, Lor’s galloper would be considered a strong contender, but he does have other options should things not go to plan with his mile experiment.

Regal Gem currently sits in a joint first position in the Million Challenge at Happy Valley with King Miles. The competition, which runs from September 10 until February 4, is for runners at Class Three level or higher, with the winner receiving HK$1 million.

“We’ll see how he runs on Tuesday,” said Lor when asked about his Classic Series credentials. “We’ve also looked at the Million Challenge at Happy Valley.”

Elsewhere, Lor is hoping to see Rewarding Buddy make his breakthrough in section two of the Class Four Jupiter Handicap (1,200m).

The son of Cosmic Force is yet to strike in seven career starts, but he has gone close in two of his last three starts, including a short-head defeat in October when losing out to the improving Dancing Classics.

He was last seen going down by a length over course and distance and from a decent draw in stall eight, he looks to have every chance with Vincent Ho Chak-yiu in the saddle for the first time.

“I think he is a horse that can win soon, but he needs a good draw. He only has a short sprint. I hope he can win the race. He needs a bit of luck,” said Lor.