Zac Purton will supplant Joao Moreira as the jockey to reach 100 Hong Kong wins in a season in the fewest rides if any of the Australian’s next 13 assignments end with him celebrating in the winner’s circle.

Moreira established the record for Hong Kong’s fastest century during his 2016-17 title-winning campaign when his 413th mount, Pakistan Baby, beat Purton-ridden favourite Cheer Win and 10 other gallopers to take out a Class Four contest at Happy Valley on February 22 in that season’s 48th meeting.

Purton, for whom Wednesday night’s programme at Happy Valley is set to be his last on Hong Kong soil until the March 11 card at Sha Tin because his two-meeting suspension for careless riding commences on Sunday, has 99 wins from his 399 engagements this term.

Richard Gibson and Purton will team up for just the seventh occasion this season when Quorum attempts to shed his maiden tag in the Class Five Un Chau Handicap (1,650m) in Wednesday night’s opening race.

Purton takes over from Matthew Chadwick on Quorum, who returns to Happy Valley after 10 consecutive runs at Sha Tin, although Jockey Club stewards scratched him at the city circuit’s barriers on November 9.

Robot Warrior reunites with Purton for the first time since May 2021 – that was his initial start for Ricky Yiu Poon-fai following his transfer from Benno Yung Tin-pang – in the Class Four So Uk Handicap (1,650m).

Purton boasts two minor placings from his three races aboard Robot Warrior, who has not finished better than fourth in any of his past eight appearances.

A Americ Te Specso is Purton’s winless conveyance in the first section of the Class Four Shek Kip Mei Handicap (1,200m). John Size’s sprinter is proving expensive to follow, losing the most recent three of his six starts at $3.6, $2.4 and $5.7, with the champion jockey on his back for two of them.

Purton keeps the faith with Management Folks in the Class Four Tai Hang Tung Handicap (2,200m), hoping David Hall’s stayer makes it two from three over Happy Valley’s 11 furlongs after experiencing back-to-back defeats under the Australian superstar.

Francis Lui Kin-wai’s debutant, Joy Coming, lines up in the Shek Kip Mei Handicap’s third section with Purton, who steered the three-year-old son of Group Three-winning sprinter Sooboog and unraced Northern Meteor mare Anadyomene in his latest two trials.

Jamie Richards, with whom Purton has combined 29 times for eight wins and five minor placings since the Kiwi handler set up shop in Hong Kong, trains each of the Australian jockey’s final four mounts before he flies home to ride in Saturday’s Randwick Guineas meeting 24 hours before his ban begins.

The wash up from a bumper Gold Cup-Classic Cup day as Teetan loses Warrior ride

Last-start winner Hoss contests the second section of the Shek Kip Mei Handicap, imported speedster Seasons Wit goes from winning a Morphettville Parks maiden over five furlongs to tackling the Class Three Chak On Handicap (1,000m) at Happy Valley, Casa Cosmo tries to register his first Hong Kong win in the Class Three Pak Tin Handicap (1,650m) and Class Three Nam Shan Handicap (1,200m) runner Armour Eagle seeks to improve his fine record in tandem with Purton.

The winner of two of his three pre-import starts, Armour Eagle is two from 15 in Hong Kong. However, he is two from three when Purton holds his reins, including winning a Class Three event over 1,200m at Happy Valley on January 11 from the outside gate.