Hong Kong View: Jim McGrath with three picks for Happy Valley on Wednesday

Looking Great
11.15 Happy Valley
2pts win

Rattan Kingdom
1.45 Happy Valley
2pts win

Comet Splendido
2.50 Happy Valley
2pts win

The juggernaut Zac Purton is set to roar through another nine-race card at Happy Valley, where the five-time champion’s best chance is Comet Splendido in the finale, the Class 3 1m½f handicap (2.50).

Purton is unstoppable at present, with his current tally at 69 wins (27.9 per cent strike-rate) putting him 28 clear of nearest rival Vincent Ho in the jockeys’ championship, and keeping him on target to break Joao Moreira’s record of 170 in a season.

The Australian is reunited with Comet Splendido, who he partnered to a narrow win in similar company in October. Since then, the four-year-old has gone up 6lb but he still looks well handicapped, especially if he gets the breaks in the race from stall two.

Hugh Bowman is back with a full book of rides only days after being hospitalised following a heavy fall at Sha Tin on Saturday.

Having passed all medical checks in the interim, Winx’s jockey comes here with several decent chances, including Maldives, who looks the danger to Comet Splendido.

Purton also gets the leg up on Rattan Kingdom, who is likely to be a raging-hot favourite to make it two wins in a row when contesting the Class 4 6f handicap (1.45).

The five-year-old received an 8lb hike in the weights after winning for Luke Currie last month but an identical draw in gate four makes it easier to pull off a repeat.

Bowman is again aboard the principal threat, the consistent Durham Star, whose last win came in September off a 6lb lower mark. His handy draw in five should see him placed in midfield for the first half of the race.

This is a tricky card but one who could provide a bit of value is the Frankie Lor-trained Looking Great in the stayers’ race, the Class 2 handicap (11.15) over 1m3f.

Purton’s mount Running Glory and Rise Brethren, a one-time runner-up for Joseph O’Brien in Royal Ascot’s Britannia, are likely to prove popular in opposition.

Looking Great showed promise in Queensland prior to export, winning twice and never finishing out of the first two in five starts. He is by Holy Roman Emperor out of a Montjeu mare and staying is his game. He is 4-25 in Hong Kong.

Forget the last run of the John Size-trained Running Glory, who was checked twice in running and lost a shoe. Much will depend on tactics here, but with a clear passage, he should be in the finish.