Pierre Ng Pang-chi believes Wednesday night is the perfect time to introduce Drombeg Banner to Happy Valley as the hat-trick seeker lines up in the Class Two Saturn Handicap (1,650m).

Drombeg Banner, who has been impossible to reel in on his two appearances over 1,400m at Sha Tin this season, will have his first taste of the city circuit in the fifth event on the eight-race card, and Ng is confident the four-year-old gelding is ready to embrace his new surroundings.

“We thought Wednesday was the right time to send him to Happy Valley,” Ng said. “He’s won over the mile before at Sha Tin, so I think it will be all right.”

Adopting the front-running tactics that served him well across his three victories from five starts in Ireland, Drombeg Banner sprang a Hong Kong shock in the Class Three Lung Fu Shan Handicap (1,600m) on January 8 when he saluted under Angus Chung Yik-lai at $33.75.

With Chung back aboard Drombeg Banner three starts later in the Class Three Faculty of Education Alumni Handicap (1,400m) on March 26, it was a similar story. The apprentice rider took the son of Starspangledbanner straight to the lead from gate 10, and the $28.85 roughie refused to let any of his rivals pass him, holding off Solid Impact to win by a head.

“It’s a pretty simple formula with him. Just jump, go, and let him breathe,” Ng said. “If you let him breathe and build him up in the straight, he’s got a quick turn of foot.”

At Ng’s behest, Chung employed the same tactics on November 5 when Drombeg Banner resumed following his 168-day break and won the Class Three Neogence Handicap (1,400m) by a short head from Green N White, with Beauty Fit also getting his face into the photograph.

On his latest outing in the Class Two Chevalier Car Dealership Handicap (1,400m) on November 26, Drombeg Banner defied beginning from barrier 10 for the third time in his 14-start career, galloping his opponents into submission under new jockey Andrea Atzeni and delighting those punters who brown-lamped him into $6.85 before the gates crashed back.

Drombeg Banner will have Atzeni’s help in the Saturn Handicap on Wednesday night when his fellow competitors will include fellow Happy Valley newcomers Find My Love and Happy Together, as well as track specialist Chill Chibi, who has won four consecutive races at the venue.

“I don’t think there will be much pace. Hopefully, he can control the speed and win again,” Ng said. “If he can dominate the pace, then it’s up to the jockey when to accelerate.”

Ng is aiming to record a victory for the 14th meeting in a row and extend his 13-win advantage over Danny Shum Chap-shing in this term’s trainers’ championship.

Drombeg Banner is one of Ng’s seven midweek entries, with last-start winner Healthy Healthy targeting back-to-back course-and-distance triumphs in the Class Three Neptune Handicap (1,200m).

“He’s up in class with a light weight,” Ng said. “We have Alexis [Badel] on board, and I’ll tell him what to do. Hopefully, he can keep improving and achieving.”

Among Ng’s other runners are Life Is Good, who makes his stable debut in the Class Four Jupiter Handicap (1,000m) after transferring from retired British handler Richard Gibson, and Turin Mascot, who returns to the scene of his previous success to contest the Class Three Mercury Handicap (2,200m).