While the buzz and the bright lights of the Hong Kong International Races are behind us, there are still plenty of reasons to be cheerful as the 2024-25 season enters a busy festive period.

It’s back to business as usual as we head to Wednesday’s programme at Happy Valley, with a pair of Class Threes highlighting the nine-race card.

And while the action might not get the pulse racing quite like last week’s International Jockeys’ Championship, punters and racing fans alike can strap themselves in as the heavyweight bout between James McDonald and Zac Purton continues.

McDonald, whose short-term Hong Kong contract finishes on December 22, and Purton were a Group One Hong Kong Vase victory away from scooping all four of the features at Sha Tin’s marquee meeting on Sunday.

The superstar Kiwi shone on Voyage Bubble in the Hong Kong Mile and Romantic Warrior in the Hong Kong Cup (2,000m), while Ka Ying Rising broke through at the top level in the Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) under seven-time champion jockey Purton.

Winning Group Ones in Hong Kong has become a fruitful pursuit for McDonald and his recent stint is no exception.

He has returned 13 winners from 56 rides at a strike rate of 23.2 per cent – a touch above Purton’s winning percentage of 22.4 – and won over HK$63 million in prize money in just three weeks.

With his current prize money haul sitting only HK$13.7 million short of Purton’s 2024-25 season returns so far, the 32-year-old is flying in comparison to this time last year. At the same point last season, McDonald had returned five winners from 42 rides before enjoying a successful January.

Fast forward 12 months and he has built the perfect platform to carry on his rich vein of form, with the newly crowned Longines World’s Best Jockey in high demand.

On Friday, McDonald liked his chances of delivering at Sha Tin’s biggest race day and joked that Purton “might not start favourite in the Jockey Challenge for once.”

McDonald was right, he started a warm $1.5 favourite and came out on top with 42 points, while Purton returned 24.

In fact, from the seven meetings he has been in Hong Kong this season, McDonald has won the Jockey Challenge on four occasions and Purton once.

The pair look set to fight it out once again on Wednesday’s card at Happy Valley, with Purton taking a full book of rides and McDonald hopping aboard eight gallopers.

Purton hunts for consecutive wins with the Frankie Lor Fu-chuen-trained Circuit Duffy, who kept on well to shed his maiden tag at start two last time out.

He lines up in the third section of the Class Four Albatross Handicap (1,200m), while the rider also teams up with last-start runner-up Ninja Derby in the Class Four Mesia Handicap (1,650m).

Of McDonald’s main chances, last-start winners Take Action and Yee Cheong Spirit will aim to continue their good form in the Mesia Handicap and the third section of the Albatross Handicap, respectively.