It’s daunting enough to take a new job in a different country in normal times but to make a success of it in the Covid-19 era takes courage and self-confidence.

Since moving to Hong Kong in April, jockey Harry Bentley has displayed plenty of those qualities and with 10 winners since December 29, his recent results have him convinced he made the right decision.

“I feel that I’m on a roll now and definitely getting better rides,” Bentley said.

“I’d spoken to jockeys in the past about coming here as I wanted to give it a go at some stage of my career and I knew how difficult and competitive this place is to ride.

“Nobody knows you when you arrive so you have to prove that you can ride and the first couple of months were a bit slow, but I’m finding my feet as time goes on.”

For the first time in his Hong Kong career, Bentley heads into Sunday’s big Sha Tin card with rides in two Group One races and he is delighted that opportunities at the highest level are starting to come his way.

“Any jockey wants to be competing at the top level and I’m no different,” Bentley said. “To get a ride in both Group Ones on the card is fantastic and I’m really looking forward to seizing the opportunity.”

The English rider takes the mount on Healthy Happy in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m) – replacing Alexis Badel, who has opted to ride Wellington – and Bentley is not expecting his French counterpart to give him too much helpful information in the build-up to the big race.

“I get on well with Alexis so I might go up to him and ask him a few things but, at the end of the day, we are competing against each other so there’s only so much somebody will help,” Bentley said.

“Ultimately, you’re very much on your own in that respect. Alexis is riding in the race as well so he’s not going to give me everything.”

Healthy Happy was victorious at Group Three level on his seasonal reappearance in January but was found to have blood in his trachea after his sixth in the Stewards’ Cup last time out and Bentley is hopeful he can show his best on Sunday.

Secure in his future, Harry Bentley is on the hunt for more winners

“I’ve only sat on him once, I did a piece of work on him on the 14th and he gave me all the right signs,” Bentley said.

“The information from his last run is not ideal but hopefully he can move past that and put in a performance like he did at the beginning of the season – 1,400m looks to be his ideal distance so that’s definitely a tick in the box.”

Bentley is also in action against superstar Golden Sixty in the Group One Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2,000m) on likely outsider Reliable Team and he is aiming to take advantage of a good draw.

“He’s a galloper and he stays every yard of this trip,” Bentley said. “He’s got a good draw in stall one so I imagine we’ll make use of that and press forward. He’s got a bit to find but he’s performed at Group Two level this season and if he can get his own way then he could run well.”

Bentley’s association with Frankie Lor Fu-chuen has proved fruitful and as well as Sunday’s two Group One rides for the trainer, he has also picked up the mount on the Lor-trained Fa Fa in the Classic Cup next week.

“It’s so good to be getting asked to ride these horses in the big races on the calendar,” Bentley said.

“To be sat in the weighing room when the big races are taking place is quite a sobering thought for a jockey so to be getting booked is great. It’s just down to me then to do the job. It shows I’m doing the right thing and moving in the right direction.”