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Last year’s Singapore Derby winner Top Knight made a one and only pre-race appearance at the barrier trials that felt almost cameo-like on Thursday.

One of the favourites to the 2020 Singapore Horse of the Year honours, the Zoustar five-year-old didn't win his heat, but from the way he lazed back at the tail of the field before letting rip late for fifth, albeit a fair gap off the winner Be Bee (Matthew Kellady), was like a refresher of what damage he can inflict if launched at full thrust.

That was it, there won't be any more sneak peek from the triple-Group 1 winner (he also captured the Singapore Guineas as a three-year-old and last year's Queen Elizabeth II Cup). The next time out will be his actual comeback race in a Class 1 race over 1200m on turf on April 4.

Regular partner Vlad Duric jumped off with a quiet sense of awe from the little teaser trailer he had just been part of, counting down the days he will be back reuniting with the Falcon Racing star in a race since his gallant third place in the Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup (2000m) in November.

"He trialled well. He had a nice long break, probably the longest he's had from when he started, except for the injury (front leg muscle strain that sidelined him for five months after a win in August 2019)," said the four-time Singapore champion jockey who has partnered Top Knight to five of his nine wins.

"He worked to the line really well, he closed off nicely, given that 1000m is short of his best.

"He's in great form, it's like he never went away. He's such a great push-button horse to ride, whether it's in trackwork, a trial or on raceday.

"He's a jockey's dream. He remains my favourite horse here."

While six furlongs remains a trip Top Knight  has never conquered (closest is two seconds from three tries), Duric has a strong gut-feel he won't be out of it.

"All the credit should go to the stable for having done an amazing job keeping him at the same level for so long. He has been well placed in his races and he hardly ever puts a foot wrong," said Duric.

"He will race first-up just off one trial, and will run in a Class 1 race over 1200m.

"He had a long break, and I really think he'll sprint well fresh. He's a very, very good horse and I know he will attack the line.

"Ideally he should go for 1400m next, but there was no 1400m race. So he might go for a mile race or a 1200m race before going for the Kranji Mile."

The Group 1 Kranji Mile (1600m) is due on May 22, and because of COVID-19 restrictions, will be staged for the second year running as a domestic event.

Trainer Michael Clements' assistant-trainer Michael White, who was on hand to watch Thursday's hit-out, confirmed the dilemma of striking the right balance of trips heading into the Kranji Mile.

"He's a little bit behind as that's the longest break he's had for a while," said White.

"Usually it's three to four weeks, but he's had an extra couple of weeks. He's gone through the same programme, he just needs a bit of extra work.

"He's the same as he has always been. He's the same horse as the day he walked into the stable.

"He's not a super trialler, and we didn't expect any more than what he showed today."

One aspect that was not expected to shape up the unorthodox way it has is the new minimalist feature race line-up, only recently released to the public.

Downsized to only 10 select Group races, including six at Group 1 level, because of the major racing reforms brought about essentially by the pandemic, Singapore racing will strangely kick off with the Group 1 Lion City Cup (1200m) as the first big race on April 24.

All of a sudden, the country's premier sprint could serve as springboard to the Kranji Mile one month later. Top Knight might be beaten for speed for most of the way, but it's an option the Clements camp are not ruling out.

"After this race, it gets a bit tricky. We either step him up to a Class 1 race over 1600m or the Lion City Cup (1200m) on the same day (April 24), leading up to the Kranji Mile," said White.

"We'll have to see how he comes out through his first-up run."

Should Top Knight sidestep the Lion City Cup in favour of the mile race, Clements will not be left high and dry in the premier sprint, a feature race that has eluded the Singapore champion trainer since relocating from his native Zimbabwe 23 years ago.

"We have other horses potentially in the mix for the Lion City Cup, like Tuesday, Celavi and Starlight," said White.

"They are all talented, but they will need to get up in their ratings first."