After drawing a blank on his first meeting back from a family holiday in Europe, Zac Purton got back to winning ways with a brace under the Happy Valley lights on Wednesday night.

Thanks to the victories of Sunny Baby and Happy United, Purton moved to 52 wins for the season and increased his championship lead over nearest challenger Karis Teetan to 14.

The six-time champion jockey opened his account in the first race on the programme, the Class Five Murray Handicap (1,800m), with Sunny Baby overcoming a troubled passage to win by a short head from Diamond Winner, with favourite Turtle Again a further short head back in third.

Sunny Baby, who was promoted to the field when M M Nebula was scratched on Tuesday, travelled powerfully towards the rear before Purton was forced to switch left to avoid the weakening Circuit Elite.

Running the final 400m over a second slower than standard time, Sunny Baby led in the final strides to notch a 17th win of the season for Hayes, who was full of praise for the superstar jockey.

“It really was [a perfect ride],” Hayes said. “It was meant to happen. Sunny Baby got in the race, got a good barrier and he got a good jockey. From first emergency, he won by a fingernail, so it was a good effort.”

Purton secured a double aboard the Jamie Richards-trained Happy United in the Class Three Hong Kong Club Challenge Cup (1,000m). After tracking the leader Fortune Warrior in the early stages, Purton took control 250m out and kept on to finish a length and a quarter ahead of the fast-finishing Heroic Master.

Twelve of Richards’ 13 victories this season have been at Happy Valley and the trainer was pleased to keep the winners ticking over.

“He’s a young horse and he’s still improving,” Richards said. “The 1,000m suits him round here and he was given a gun ride from a good gate, so I’m really pleased to see him win like that.”

Caspar Fownes may have been enjoying a holiday of his own, but that did not stop the King of the Valley also firing in a double at the midweek fixture.

Before M Unicorn’s win in the Class Three Connaught Handicap (1,650m) completed braces for Fownes and jockey Vincent Ho Chak-yiu, the trainer teamed up with Keagan de Melo for the South African rider’s first victory this year in the Class Four Jackson Handicap (1,800m).

Snapping his run of 58 outs, De Melo steered Super Contented to his second career success with an enterprising front-running ride from gate five. Watched on by his wife Demi, father Dion and mother Fiona, De Melo said his family’s support during his recent cold spell had been a big help.

“It’s been a bit slow for my liking, but it goes that way. You just have to keep positive and bringing my family here tonight was a bit of a positive thing to do,” De Melo said. “Obviously, my wife is 110 per cent behind me on the good and the bad days as well, but it was a nice relief for me and this horse is on the improve.”

Andrea Atzeni has now ridden a winner at every meeting in 2024 after lifting Crystal Powerful to success in the second section of the Class Four Club Handicap (1,200m), while Harry Bentley returned to the Happy Valley winner’s enclosure for the first time since October 18 as Watch Buddy took out the Class Three Chater Handicap (1,200m).

Meanwhile, Jimmy Ting Koon-ho and Dennis Yip Chor-hong face fines after having gallopers scratched from Wednesday night’s meeting because of inadvertent treatments.

Ting’s Ai One, Concerto and Alloy King were removed on Wednesday, joining Yip’s Top Top Tea, which came out on Tuesday.