Caspar Fownes is “always there for him if he needs me – 100 per cent”, but the handler must try to extend his lead in the unofficial Happy Valley trainers’ championship without Vincent Ho Chak-yiu as his former apprentice begins his suspension.

With Ho’s appeal into the severity of his 10-meeting ban set for Thursday, the galloper at the centre of the furore, Capital Delight, is one of the three last-start winners among the seven-strong Fownes squad for Wednesday night’s nine-event programme.

Only Zac Purton has ridden more career victors for Fownes than Ho, whose loyal former master hopes Jockey Club officials will trim the penalty they issued the star local rider after they found him “guilty of a charge under Rule 100 (2) in that he failed to ride his mount out all the way to the end of the race to the satisfaction of the stewards”.

“Always there for him if he needs me – 100 per cent,” Fownes said about his relationship with Ho, under whom Capital Delight dead heated with Lucky Archangel for first at Happy Valley two weeks ago.

“We’ve already gone through everything. I wish him the very best in his appeal. Hopefully, they can give him a few days off. That would be nice.”

Fownes has engaged seven different jockeys to ride his seven midweek runners, with early championship pacesetter Hugh Bowman reuniting with Capital Delight in Ho’s absence.

Capital Delight will contest the second section of the Class Three Speedy Handicap (1,200m) from gate 10, with Fownes optimistic he will win a Happy Valley race in his own right under Bowman.

“His latest effort was good. You’d be hoping he can keep improving off that,” Fownes said of Capital Delight, who appears to have fully acclimatised to Hong Kong after his three unplaced runs last season.

The Speedy Handicap’s first section also features a Fownes-prepared last-start winner, with Lucky Gor rising in grade following his narrow Class Four victory in tandem with Bowman three weeks ago.

Bowman cannot get down to Lucky Gor’s 118 pounds – he has not weighed out below 125 pounds this term – so Lyle Hewitson gets his first chance aboard a sprinter whose collateral form worries Fownes.

“He only beat Awesome Treasure by a short margin, and he was disappointing from gate one in Class Four the other day. I’ve always hoped he could be competitive in Class Three, so let’s see,” Fownes said.

Of Fownes’ three brace seekers on Wednesday night, the Happy Valley specialist believes Class Four Horsepower Handicap (1,650m) competitor M Unicorn boasts the best chance of posting back-to-back wins.

“Hopefully, he can frank that,” Fownes said of M Unicorn, who triumphed by three lengths under Harry Bentley last time. “He looks a treat, and we’re expecting a bold showing again. He’s young and improving. He could go on with it.”

Valhalla, Ace Talent, Joy Of Spring and Capital Legend round out Fownes’ travelling party, with the latter returning to Happy Valley seven days after finishing sixth and failing to justify favouritism.

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“He’s bounced back, and that’s why I’ve backed him up,” Fownes said of Matthew Chadwick’s mount in the Class Three Racing Spirit Handicap (1,650m).

“I felt the race the other day didn’t pan out for us when Dougie’s horse [Ivy League] took off. We were shuffled back, and it didn’t work out.”