Graham Cunningham: typhoon scuppers Beauty Generation workout before ace returns

The Hong Kong spotlight switches to Happy Valley this Wednesday for an eight-race card with almost £1 million in prize-money on offer.

Zac Purton failed to take advantage of the absence of his two key rivals last week but Joao Moreira and Karis Teetan are both back from suspension with eight rides apiece for a card that starts at 12.15pm on Sky Sports Racing.

Doubles all round as Chadwick run continues

It is amazing what a couple of bans and a mini-lull for the champ can do to help spread the winning love around. Teetan and Moreira were suspended for both of last week's meetings and, with Purton managing just a single at the Valley last Wednesday and Sha Tin on Sunday, HK's second wave of riding talent seized the moment.

Vincent Ho followed his Wednesday double with another. Chad Schofield and Vagner Borges also bagged a pair, while Matthew Chadwick made it six wins from four meetings when California Rad landed the finale. "I’m just getting on slightly better horses," said the laconic Chadwick, whose recently renewed relationship with Tony Cruz could be valuable in the coming months.

Schofield primed for Talent show

Schofield has a suspension of his own looming but has started the season strongly and is hoping to continue his good run when Not Usual Talent lines up for a strong Valley finale at 3.50.

Wednesday's Happy Valley card

Benno Yung's runner failed to win last term but he ended the season in good heart and returned with a fine effort at Sha Tin, coming home strongly in a truly run race to bustle up the highly progressive Mighty Giant.

This is another strong contest but Not Usual Talent handles the Valley well and has to rate high on any shortlist along with Moreira's mount Green Luck, a four-time winner over course and distance who is two from three with the Magic Man aboard.

“Green Luck is going really well,” said trainer Caspar Fownes. “There are a couple of good horses at the top of the ratings with apprentice claims and they look well in, especially off last season’s form. But my guy is in good form, he’s been set for this race for a while, so he’ll be there to give it a shake.”

Joao Moreira: teaming up with Caspar Fownes to great effectCredit: Edward Whitaker

Fownes and Moreira on Green for go

Fownes is setting a strong gallop at the top of the trainers' table – with 14 wins from just 74 runners – and his partnership with Moreira has produced eight winners from 18 runners this season.

The Brazilian partners five of Fownes's six-strong team for Wednesday but Purton's link with the King of the Valley looks to have moved into the slow lane given that the pair haven't combined for three weeks now.

Stars shaping up for weekend action

The Prawn, the Patch and the Celebrity Cup rematch are on the menu for Sunday at Sha Tin after entries for the weekend's big races were published on Monday.

Beauty Generation and Golden Sixty square off for a second time in the Sha Tin Trophy with the latter 7lb worse off than when bounding clear of the old champ on his reappearance, while Moreira faced a tricky choice in the Group 2 Premier Bowl but sticks with the high-class Hot King Prawn, leaving Teetan to get back aboard runaway National Day Cup winner Computer Patch.

Beauty Generation: all eyes on his comebackCredit: Hong Kong Jockey Club

Beauty workout delayed as Hayes seeks to bounce back

Meanwhile, Beauty Generation fans will be well aware that his new trainer David Hayes could do with a winner or two ahead of Sunday's second clash with Golden Sixty.

Hayes scored with two of his first three runners on his first day back as a HK trainer early last month but is 0-36 since. The Aussie has four chances to right the ship at the Valley, while Beauty Generation will gallop on turf on Wednesday morning after his intended Tuesday workout was scuppered by a typhoon warning.

Bets can be placed into HK pools with the Tote, Coral and Ladbrokes. First race at Sha Tin on Sunday is 12.15pm BST