Frankie Lor Fu-chuen is confident Regal Gem can capitalise on his light weight and clinch the DBS x Manulife Million Challenge crown in the series finale at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.

Leading the Million Challenge on 42 points, Regal Gem will carry only 116lb when he faces several leading series rivals in the Class Two Blue Pool Handicap (1,200m).

The annual Million Challenge is for runners of all races Class Three and above from September 10 until Wednesday night, with points awarded to horses who finish in the top four.

Regal Gem has banked 15 points for a win twice and six points for second twice, including last start when he finished behind the reopposing Storm Rider, who is joint second in the Million Challenge on 36 points.

The winning owners of the series collect a HK$1 million cheque and trophy, with HK$350,000 awarded to the first runner-up and HK$150,000 to the second runner-up.

“We’ll try to win it,” said Lor, who won the Million Challenge with Fa Fa in a tie with Francis Lui Kin-wai’s Cheerful Days in 2022.

“Everything’s all good with the horse and he has a light weight. We needed to get a good barrier.”

Regal Gem was dealt the outside draw in the field of 12 and will be ridden by Derek Leung Ka-chun, who missed Sunday’s Sha Tin meeting with illness but is expected to be fine to ride at the Valley.

Regal Gem emerged as a top Million Challenge contender with back-to-back course and distance victories late last year, while he ran on strongly to only be beaten a length by the in-form Storm Rider last start.

Storm Rider rises 3lb on that victory to carry joint top weight of 135lb with Beauty Waves on Wednesday night as trainer David Hayes chases a third consecutive Million Challenge title.

Storm Rider, who has drawn more favourably than Regal Gem in gate two, will be chasing a hat-trick after also winning the Group Three Chinese Club Challenge Cup (1,400m) at Sha Tin on New Year’s Day.

King Miles, who shares second with Storm Rider, is another threat to Regal Gem as he contests Wednesday night’s Class Three Sing Woo Handicap (1,200m).

Helene Feeling, who sits fifth on 32.5 points, the Hayes-trained Romantic Son (30) and David Eustace’s Silvery Breeze (27) are the only other Million Challenge winning hopes racing at the series finale.

While the Million Challenge is Lor’s more immediate focus, the veteran handler is also gearing up for a crack at Sunday’s Group Three Centenary Vase (1,800m) at Sha Tin with his prominent Classic Series hope Numbers.

The Australian import followed an encouraging Happy Valley third on his local debut with a strong Class Two victory over 2,000m at Sha Tin, putting him firmly into calculations for the next two legs of the four-year-old series – the Classic Cup (1,800m) on March 1 and BMW Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) on March 22.

“If I ran him last week in the Class Two 2,000m, he would have carried 135lb and I didn’t want to do that,” Lor said.

“His next target will be 1,800m in the Classic Cup, so I thought we’ll try this 1,800m race first with a light weight. He goes to the Classic Cup and then the Derby. Everything’s good with him.”

Now owned by Lor’s Trainer Syndicate, Numbers showed staying potential in Australia with two wins and several placings in Group races, including a second in last year’s Group One Queensland Derby (2,400m), when known as King Of Thunder.