Frankie Lor Fu-chuen is hopeful a light weight and another good gate will ensure Fun N Fun Together is right in the mix as he chases consecutive victories at the Sha Tin all-weather meeting on Thursday night.

A last-start winner at the course and distance of Thursday’s Hebe Hill Handicap (1,200m), Fun N Fun Together enters Class Three company for the first time and will carry just 117lb as a result.

“This time he is going up to Class Three and the good thing is he has the light weight,” said Lor of his noted front-runner.

“I think he should go close again but the only thing is that Mark Newnham’s horse [Fatal Blow] is also fast. Because my horse has the inside draw in gate two, it should be easier to go in front but I don’t know if Mark’s horse will come to challenge him or not.”

Matthew Poon Ming-fai replaces Zac Purton in the saddle because of the light weight, with the jockey looking to continue his improved form aboard a horse he regularly joins forces with in the mornings.

“Matthew does a lot of trials for me so I needed to give him a chance,” said Lor.

Elsewhere among his eight-strong midweek hand, Lor is confident a dry surface will help to bring the best out of Never Peter Out in the Class Three Pyramid Hill Handicap (1,650m) and Gimme Five in the first section of the Class Four Shek Uk Shan Handicap (1,200m).

“Last start the jockey came back and said he didn’t like the wet-slow track,” Lor said of Never Peter Out, who has won on a wet-slow dirt track before but could only manage ninth when first up for the season last month.

“If the track is normal on Thursday night I think he should be much better. He should improve for the first-up run too.”

“In Class Five, Gimme Five looked like a super horse but he’s not in top form at the moment and last start he didn’t like the track.”

Looking ahead, Lor could run both Happy Together and Sword Point in next weekend’s Group Three Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse (1,800m).

“This time I will go back to Alexis Badel because he rides this horse perfectly. Last start he needed to ride My Wish,” said Lor of Happy Together’s recent seventh under Karis Teetan in the Group Two Sha Tin Trophy (1,600m).

Lucky With You will push onto the Group Two Jockey Club Sprint (1,200m) after his seventh behind Tomodachi Kokoroe in last weekend’s Group Two Premier Bowl (1,200m), however Lor is likely to lower his sights with Bottomuptogether following his 13th in the same race.

“I think maybe he’s not good enough at Group level,” said the trainer.

Lor was pleased to see a couple of his four-year-old series hopefuls bag recent Happy Valley successes and he’s particularly looking forward to seeing what South Star can do in the lead-up to February’s coveted Classic Mile.

“South Star is only a small horse but when you can settle him he can have a really strong finish,” said Lor.

“Last start was his first time at Happy Valley and we were lucky we drew one. Zac was able to relax him behind horses and then in the straight he just came with a good finish.

“Regal Gem looks OK from 1,200m to 1,600m but at the moment we will keep him at 1,200m because we need to make him more relaxed.

“Last season I tried 1,400m and he wasn’t good enough. If we take it step by step maybe he can handle 1,600m later on.”