The Magic Man is back: we take a look at Joao Moreira's rides

Joao Moreira begins his stint as Caspar Fownes’ stable rider at Happy Valley on Wednesday with nine rides and several live chances.

They kick off in race one with Decision Link, who Fownes only acquired three runs ago from his former assistant trainer, Chris So Wai-yin.

The four-year-old, with only eight starts to his name, made late ground to finish fifth in a Class 4 1,200-meter race at Sha Tin at his first start for the stable before two moderate efforts over 1,400m.

Fownes now takes the gelding to Happy Valley for the first time, where he drops into Class 5, wears visors, and returns to 1,200m. While his chances look sound on form, the map looks less straightforward after drawing widest in barrier 12.

In Race 2, the map is kinder for Vermilion Tempest, who comes into barrier seven after drawing 12 first-up.

The four-year-old has yet to fill a placing in five Hong Kong starts after arriving as a one-from-one winner over 1,300 meters on Cambridge’s Polytrack in New Zealand, but he took a step forward first-up off a two-month break.

Forced back to last from the wide draw, he raced in a contest where leader and eventual winner Armor Golden Eagle was given a soft enough time through the first 800 meters before building through the next two sections and never giving his rivals a chance.

Vermilion Tempest’s sixth, although beaten six and three-quarter lengths, had merit against the race shape from where he settled, and a better barrier on Wednesday gives Moreira the chance to position him closer in the run.

Another looking for a cleaner trip is Elegant Life in Race 4, who returns to the course and distance at which he broke his maiden in style two runs ago at the top of Class 5, scoring by a length and a quarter.

Fownes then took him to Sha Tin over 1,200 meters, where he placed third to the promising Gold Patch, and it was a solid effort given he was hampered and forced wide after the 900-meter mark.

In Race 5 they combine with last-start winner Golden Brilliant, who has improved since the blinkers went on three starts ago, producing a pair of close-up fourths before a two-month break and then resuming with a narrow win. There was merit in the performance after he was steadied to the rear early before Alexis Badel circled the field with a sweeping three-wide move that, as the stewards’ report noted, left him racing very wide and without cover from the 800 meters.

Fownes also looks to have Monarch County well placed for a bold first-up run in Race 5, with the five-year-old drawing well in barrier 4 off the back of two quiet but good-looking trials. In Race 6 they combine with last-start winner Sky Cap.

In Race 7, Sky Vino will look to improve his track-and-distance record to three wins from six attempts. Moreira has the inside barrier to work with aboard the four-year-old following two luckless runs, one over 2,000 meters on turf and the other over 1,650m on the all-weather, after a win at that course and distance three runs ago.

Perfect General is another to draw well in barrier 4 for his return in Race 8, which has not always been the case this season. He has drawn barrier 11 in three of his five starts at the track and distance and still managed two wins and a third.

They round out the card with another first-up runner in Mighty Commander, who has also drawn well in barrier 4. The five-year-old is in career-best form in his current campaign, with two wins and two thirds from nine starts.