ONLY three race meetings of the Hong Kong season remain, and Happy Valley hosts a fiendishly difficult nine-race card on Wednesday which features many gallopers looking for their elusive first win of the season before the summer break.

With the weather remaining unpredictable, heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast to hit the territory once again and predicting what surface conditions will be like is anyone’s guess.

The draw factor may come to the aid of bettors, with low gate numbers on the ‘B track’ heavily favoured over their double-figure gate rivals, especially in sprint races.

Trainer Caspar Fownes looks like he has the trainers’ championship race nearly wrapped up. However, he would have breathed a huge sigh of relief after drawing a blank with some heavily supported raiders at Sha Tin last Sunday, when both his nearest pursuers Danny Shum and Mark Newnham were unable to cut into the deficit, leaving the Fownes stable still five wins clear, with the finishing line in sight.

Fownes sends another strong raiding party to his favourite track, with last-start winner and progressive sprinter Target Audience, his best chance of success in the six-furlong Penalty Shootout Handicap (3.50pm).  

The Danny Shum stable, meanwhile, reckon this is their best opportunity for some time of making inroads into Fownes’ lead, with half-a-dozen gallopers all having leading chances.

The well-drawn LEADING AGILITY spearheads the stable challenge in the six-furlong Header Handicap (2.15pm), having been desperately unlucky when seeking to defy a penalty last month.

On that occasion he was held up with nowhere to go turning into the straight and by the time he found a clear passage, the winner and second had already flown.

Having won in good style over the course and distance in May, and with Shum able to book his good friend and ally Zac Purton for the first time aboard the three-year-old, they will be hoping to add to their already impressive partnership record this season of 13 wins from 48 rides.

A recent winning trial with Purton aboard indicates that the Australian import is still in top condition and with a draw in gate three a bonus, he should take plenty of beating. 

The stable may have already got on the score sheet earlier on the card when THE PERFECT MATCH at long last gets what looks like in the six-furlong Goal Handicap (1.45pm).

The son of Complacent has been plagued for most of the season with either awkward or wide gates but nevertheless has run much better than his final finishing positions suggest and has finally drawn the favoured inside gate one.

With leading local rider Jerry Chau in the saddle, he is mapped to get the run of the race, chasing speedsters Superb King and Looking Bright from the off, and then can use his renowned strong finish to good effect down the home straight. 

POINTERS

The Perfect Match               1.45pm            Happy Valley

Leading Agility                      2.15pm           Happy Valley