John Size clinched his record-breaking 12th Hong Kong trainers’ championship, rider Zac Purton and handler Francis Lui Kin-wai secured the respective King of the Valley crowns and young jockey Luke Ferraris notched a treble at the city circuit on Wednesday night.

When neither Party Warrior nor Lucky Gold won the Class Three Lucky Patch Handicap (1,000m) that went to Seasons Wit, it became impossible for second-placed Lui to overtake Size, whose first title triumph since 2018-19 snapped his long-standing tie with another Australian trainer, George Moore, who snared 11 of the 12 championships between 1973-74 and 1984-85.

Lui could have runners in up to nine races at Sunday’s season finale at Sha Tin, but even if Golden Sixty’s handler has a weekend nine-timer and Size does not win any contest, the former would still trail the latter on countback, which takes into account the number of seconds.

Size broke the mould in Hong Kong when he won the 2001-02 title in his first season after swapping Sydney for Sha Tin. Subsequently, he was the champion trainer in 2002-03, 2003-04, 2005-06, 2007-08, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 before succeeding Frankie Lor Fu-chuen – from whom Lui snatched second place on Wednesday – this term.

“It’s always nice to reach a milestone or get an award, or in this case, win another championship,” said Size, who turned 69 on Monday. “It’s meaningful to me, but it’s difficult to express in what way.”

Size did not have a race victory on his title-winning night, but Purton’s treble and Lui’s double meant they pipped Vincent Ho Chak-yiu and Caspar Fownes, respectively, to the King of the Valley crowns.

Purton, who had trailed Ho in the unofficial Happy Valley jockeys’ championship almost all season, steered Circuit Seven, Vincy and Seasons Wit to wins to finish with 52 victories, three more than Ho.

Circuit Seven led all the way in the Class Five Street Cat Handicap (1,000m), nine-year-old Vincy swooped to win the Class Five Sweet Orange Handicap (2,200m) and Seasons Wit edged the Lucky Patch Handicap to make it three on the spin.

Joy Coming, in the first section of the Class Four Fast Most Furious Handicap (1,200m), and Hameron, in the Class Three Let Me Fight Handicap (1,800m), won their first races for Lui, who ended the Happy Valley programme with 33 victories, three more than Fownes.

The other star performer of the well-attended Happy Valley season finale was Ferraris, who was victorious on each of his first three conveyances before finishing fifth aboard Butterfield in the last.

As Wimbledon heats up, Fast Serve aced his second start to win the Class Four Kings Falcon Handicap (1,000m), leading all the way under Ferraris and beating Savvy Delight by three lengths.

“He’s fairly difficult to rate because he’s one of those jump-and-run types,” Ferraris said of David Hall’s unbeaten youngster. “He never gives too much away about what’s in the tank because he’s got such a high cruising speed, so it’s really nice to see him quicken, which he never did on his first start.

“Obviously, he was green that time, and he was again tonight – you saw him hit the inside fence – but he’s starting to do things right. As long as he continues on this trajectory, it’s pretty exciting for him.”

Concerto won the incident-packed Class Four Silver Grecian Handicap (1,650m) – barrier rogue Cordyceps One misbehaved and hat-trick seeker Turquoise Alpha, located in an adjacent gate, missed the start – as Ferraris scored a race-to-race double before the South African jockey rode Hameron for Lui.

Ferraris’ countryman, Lyle Hewitson, had a good night as well, registering a double on Lui’s Joy Coming and Class Two Sun Jewellery Handicap (1,650m) winner Telecom Fighters for Me Tsui Yu-sak. The victory of Telecom Fighters brought up Hewitson’s half-century.