John Size believes Raging Blizzard is equipped with all the necessary skills to thrive at Happy Valley as the improving speedster makes his first visit to the city circuit on Wednesday night.

After coming out on top following a gruelling battle with Gorgeous Win in his latest victory over Sha Tin’s 1,200m course on Boxing Day, Raging Blizzard will test his mettle under the Happy Valley lights in the Class Three Chater Handicap (1,200m).

While all of Raging Blizzard’s four starts have come over that same course and distance, the 12-time champion trainer is confident his improving four-year-old can handle the change in surroundings.

“Yes, I think he will handle Happy Valley, that’s why he’s going there,” Size said. “He’s got a good bit of pace.”

Runner-up on his sole start last term, Raging Blizzard showed a good turn of foot to shed his maiden tag on his seasonal reappearance in November.

After failing to back up that success on his next outing, the son of Per Incanto got back to winning ways with Karis Teetan in the saddle on December 26.

Teetan will continue his union with Raging Blizzard on Wednesday’s eight-race programme and Size – who saddles five runners on the card – believes the gelding can claim a Happy Valley win at his first attempt.

“Last time was a workmanlike performance, but it would be fair to say he had everything in his favour,” Size said. “With the handicap rating he’s on and the class he’s in, he can probably win again.”

By Size’s high standards, it would be fair to say it’s been slow going for the 12-time champion trainer at Happy Valley so far this term.

Returning only three winners from 94 runners at 3.19 per cent, the 69-year-old handler is operating at his lowest strike rate at the track in recent years.

His 2022-23 campaign yielded 19 victories at an eight per cent win rate, while his slowest season at the city circuit in the past 10 years brought 12 winners from 182 runners at 6.5 per cent in 2019-20.

One of Size’s three Happy Valley victors this term, Beauty Infinity, will attempt to snare consecutive wins when he contests the first section of the Class Four Club Handicap (1,200m). A placegetter on debut over the Happy Valley 1,200m, Beauty Infinity took a big step forward when recording his maiden success at the second time of asking on January 4.

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Attempting to repeat that feat over the same course and distance at the midweek meeting, the son of Toronado will jump from barrier eight with Andrea Atzeni in the saddle.

“He’s similar [to Raging Blizzard],” Size said. “He did his job quite well last time, even though he is a bit of a late starter at four and a half, and he’s equipped to win races now.”

Beauty Infinity’s victory came when edged clear of King Eccellente in a Class Four contest to prevail by three-quarters of a length and stop the clock at 1:09.87 – a 1,200m time that was faster than Shinkansen’s Class Four victory (1:10.16) on the same card and almost identical to Majestic Knight’s Class Two win (1.09.83).

Size’s midweek hand is completed by Diamond Winner, Flying Phantom and U S S Constitution.