Top-class racing is guaranteed on National Panasonic Day at Sha Tin this Saturday, November 3, with so many of the best horses in Hong Kong taking part in two outstanding-looking handicaps. In terms of quality and quantity, the feature event on the card, the HK$2 million National Panasonic Cup has produced a better field than last year's 1000m race when only eight horses with an average rating of 104 went to post. Now that the distance of the race has been upped to 1200m, a much stronger blend of 12 sprinters and milers with an average rating of 111 has resulted. Of the 12 runners, six have won or been placed in International Pattern company, whilst there are four individual winners of Hong Kong Group races and four individual winners in the Premier Class grade. Both the National Panasonic Cup and the National IH Warm Jar Handicap, the other particularly good contest on the card, are crucial 'prep races' for horses that have the Hong Kong Sprint and Hong Kong Mile as targets. The competition for places for the International Races is fierce and it shows on Saturday: no fewer than 15 horses rated between 110 and 120 are in action in these two races. Top of the weights in the National Panasonic Cup is Electronic Unicorn, the fifth-highest rated horse in Hong Kong on a mark of 120, is making his debut for trainer John Size. An accomplished performer between 1600m and 2000m, Electronic Unicorn won the Chevalier Cup (Premier Class -1600m) last year before finishing fifth in the Hong Kong Mile and fourth in the Audemars Piguet QEII Cup. He has not, however, raced over a trip as short as this since his racecourse debut in May 1999. Citizen Kane, who ran out a most impressive 7 lengths winner of the PCCW Cup (Premier-1400m) in June, has finished fifth in both starts so far this term. Slowly away, he lost his chance at the start of the National Day Cup and had every chance in the Sha Tin Trophy (Gr.3-1600m) before fading inside the final 200 metres. Dropping-back to 1200m won't inconvenience and he should still prove a force to be reckoned with. Ivan Allan's two entries are Cliffhanger and Plenty-Plenty. Cliffhanger won the HKSAR Chief Executive's Cup in September and a good run here will enhance his claims for a place in the Hong Kong Sprint. The ever-consistent Plenty-Plenty, winner of this race last year under Eddy Lai, is also capable of a good showing and a second consecutive crack at the Sprint is well within his compass. Only a head and a neck separated Solid Contact, Prime Witness and Kenwood Melody in the first Group race of the year, the Happy Valley Trophy (Gr.3-1200m), on October 10, and the rematch on Saturday is another intriguing element to the mix. Having found Cliffhanger just a nose too good in the Chief Executive's Cup, Solid Contact went one better at Happy Valley to defeat the fast-finishing Prime Witness, the joint holder of the track record for Sha Tin's 1200m, and Kenwood Melody, winner of the Group 3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup over the same trip last season. Another notable effort in the Happy Valley Trophy came from the David Oughton's classy ex-German Group 3 winner, Champ De Union, who really found his rhythm late on his Hong Kong debut. Better can be expected this weekend from him. Last term's Hong Kong Classic Mile (Gr.1-1600m) winner Charming City and Sha Tin Vase (Gr.2-1000m) hero, Winning Counter are also involved along with the consistent, but luckless Master Fay, still without a win after 24 starts although he has finished second on five occasions.