Caspar Fownes expects to figure prominently in Wednesday night’s trio of Class Three races at Happy Valley as he bids to strike back in his battle with Mark Newnham for the trainers’ championship lead.

After overtaking Newnham at the top of the standings with a treble at the Valley’s last meeting on December 23, Fownes has come up empty from three straight meetings at Sha Tin.

Newnham’s two victories in that period were enough to give him a 28-27 advantage over Fownes, but the four-time championship winner is keen to hit back at the track which he holds the record for most winners at since Hong Kong’s professional era of racing started in 1971-72.

“Hopefully we can get back among the winners. They’ve been running well but that’s racing – that’s part of the game,” said Fownes, who had to settle for seconds with Dancing Code and Monarch County at Sha Tin last week.

Corleone spearheads Fownes’ assault on Wednesday night’s three strongest races at the city circuit when he bids to complete a hat-trick in the Des Voeux Handicap (1,650m).

The Dundeel gelding backed up a dominant first-up success with a narrow all-the-way performance under Ryan Moore during last month’s Longines International Jockeys’ Championship fixture.

While he rises to Class Three for the first time, Corleone drops 14lb to carry 120lb and has drawn ideally in gate four.

“He’s coming off two starts for two wins this prep, so hopefully he can go on with it,” Fownes said.

“He’s a horse that’s needed a lot of time and we’ve given him that to develop. Now it’s time to see if he’s strong enough. He’ll be competitive, but whether or not he wins is a different story.

“He’ll be there in the first three or four.”

Another boost to Corleone’s claims is the booking of French jockey Maxime Guyon, who has struck top form with nine winners since December 14.

In a competitive contest to close Wednesday night’s card, Corleone will take on the likes of last-start winners A Americ Te Specso and Fivefortwo and the consistent King Lotus.

Love Together is Fownes’ first Class Three representative at the midweek meeting, with the Australian import out to bounce back from a luckless sixth last start when he tackles the Chater Handicap (1,000m).

A severe check shortly after the start ruined the three-year-old’s chances of going one better than his previous run when a close second to Blue Illusion.

“He was very unlucky last start, he got knocked down after they jumped and lost everything,” Fownes said of Love Together’s sixth behind Candlelight Dinner.

“From gate two, he can position up in a good spot and he should get his chance.”

Vincent Ho Chak-yiu retains the ride on Love Together, who recorded a win at Newcastle and three placings from five starts when racing as Mednyi pre-import.

Ho also hops back aboard Perfect General, who Fownes believes is well placed in the Class Three Connaught Handicap (1,200m).

The Zoustar gelding has returned this season with a strong Class Four success under Ho before making late ground from gate 11 last start for fourth behind Sports Legend on his Class Three debut.

“It was very important that Perfect General drew a gate because he had no luck last start. He’s in good form and he’ll get his chance from gate two,” Fownes said.

Golden Brilliant is another solid chance for Fownes, with the four-year-old rising in distance in the Class Four Club Handicap (1,650m) after an eye-catching fourth over 1,200m with blinkers added last start.

“We’ve always felt he can run a mile so we’ll just see, but he’s not the finished article yet. At least he put the writing on the wall last start to show us he’s going to be competitive in this grade,” Fownes said.