Zac Purton will ease himself into his first meeting as a quadragenarian with no rides in either of the first two races at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, but the 40-year-old champion jockey still has a good book after his birthday.

Purton’s half a dozen Happy Valley mounts include Heroic Master in the Class Three Hip Wo Handicap (1,200m), Juneau Flash in the Class Four Hung To Handicap (1,000m) and a couple of last-start winners, Shining Fortune in the first section of the Class Four Mut Wah Handicap (1,200m) and Act Of Faith in Mut Wah Handicap’s second section.

Frankie Lor Fu-chuen’s Heroic Master has won only one of his three Hong Kong starts. Purton was Heroic Master’s pilot for his local win, and Lor is getting the gang back together for the final event on Happy Valley’s card.

“The good draw will make it easier for the jockey,” said Lor, referring to Heroic Master jumping from Happy Valley’s gate 10 under Harry Bentley when he placed third in a Class Three sprint over 1,000m on his latest competitive outing five weeks ago.

“I sent him for a trial at Happy Valley, and I was happy,” added Lor, who has celebrated 25 wins this term and leads the trainers’ premiership on countback because he boasts one more second than Tony Cruz.

Purton steered both Hung To Handicap runners Amazing Rocky and Faribault on their victorious last starts, but the Australian superstar has chosen to jump off them and jump on John Size-trained maiden Juneau Flash.

Vagner Borges, Tom Marquand and Hugh Bowman have had goes at triumphing aboard Juneau Flash, who almost ran down Faribault and Purton in a Class Four dash over 1,000m at Happy Valley on December 21.

Purton and Size will team up twice before Juneau Flash tries to shed his maiden tag, with the multiple title winners combining with Shining Fortune and Act Of Faith in 1,200m contests.

Shining Fortune returns to the turf after breaking his duck in a Class Four sprint over 1,200m on Sha Tin’s dirt track on December 18, but he has placed four times at Happy Valley, all over six furlongs.

Act Of Faith improved several lengths from his plain debut at Sha Tin to his excellent second-up showing at Happy Valley, dominating a Class Four race over 1,200m at the city circuit on December 14.

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Danny Shum Chap-shing’s Eighteen Palms and Dynamic Spirit are Purton’s other Happy Valley rides, with Eighteen Palms debuting in the first section of the Class Four Tsun Yip Handicap (1,650m) and Dynamic Spirit featuring in the Class Three Hoi Yuen Handicap (1,650m).