KEY POINTS:
Paul O'Sullivan arrived back from season-ending Hong Kong to watch the last four races at Matamata yesterday worth $29,000.
That's a fair bit more than when O'Sullivan left New Zealand three years ago to train in horse racing's most exciting arena and he's encouraged - but it's millions he'll personally be looking at when the Hong Kong season resumes in September.
All that will all come in the shape of a New Zealand-bred Medic Power.
He's one of the excitement machines of world racing.
He was named Hong Kong's most improved horse this season and it was well earned - his rating went up 63 points and the only horse to exceed that in a season in the history of Hong Kong racing was the mighty Silent Witness, who went up 65 points in his best season.
The brilliant sprinting-orientated Medic Power will have the International meeting in December as his first main mission.
"We've got to establish that he's up to the international horses," said O'Sullivan yesterday. Once that's established, the world will become a small place for Medic Power.
"There's Royal Ascot, then there's a race in Japan worth around US$1 million [$1.3 million], then the Breeders Cup.
"That's a realistic target. There's a long way to go, but he's very exciting."
Hong Kong-based Australian jockey Brett Prebble has told O'Sullivan Medic Power is the best sprinter he has ridden.
And they include Hong Kong's Absolute Champion, rated the world's best turf sprinter this year.
"I don't know if that's just an enthusiastic jockey talking after a race - we'll see," said O'Sullivan.
"He's only three and they improve a lot between three and four in Hong Kong."
O'Sullivan trained 18 winners in his first year in Hong Kong, 35 last year and finished second to Casper Fownes in the season just completed with 52 wins.
Financially he's flying and with owners looking to flock to his stable, he has trouble managing to keep the flow to the mandatory 60 horses.
"It's the biggest issue for me at the moment - but it's not a bad problem to have."
O'Sullivan yesterday surveyed the track where it all started - Matamata.
Late rain made it a bleak scene, but it didn't affect O'Sullivan's mood.
"You know, I wouldn't dismiss the possibility of me coming back here to train. If I did it wouldn't be for a while, but it could happen."
Meantime there are racing worlds to conquer.
