Superstar jockey Joao Moreira will return to Hong Kong for the final three months of the season as the retained stable rider for Caspar Fownes.

The Jockey Club on Monday approved Fownes’ application to retain Moreira, a four-time Hong Kong champion rider, from April 7 until the end of the campaign on July 15.

Fownes currently leads the race for the championship on 36 wins and hopes Moreira’s return will boost his bid for a fifth trainers’ title.

“Who wouldn’t be happy with a superstar like him coming for the rest of the season?” Fownes said.

“I’m so happy – happy with the club, happy with Jo and more than anything, I’m sure the fans and the owners will be looking forward to him coming back.

“It’s going to be exciting, it’s going to be fun.”

Fownes’ application to retain Moreira as his stable rider on a short-term stint earlier this season was rejected, with the Jockey Club citing a full riding roster at the time.

Under the retainership agreement, more than 85 per cent of the stable’s owners must agree to support the arrangement, contributing monthly towards the rider’s retainer.

In return, the supporting owners get first call on the jockey’s services. The rider can accept outside rides when not required by the retaining stable.

“He’ll be riding most of the horses in the stable, that’s for sure,” Fownes said of Moreira, who has won more than 1,200 races in Hong Kong.

“I’m up for the challenge of fighting for the championship this season and with the addition of Jo, that’s going to make it more exciting. I’m looking forward to the last three months of the season.”

Meanwhile, Jimmy Ting Koon-ho is confident a fit and more relaxed Little Paradise will relish the 1,800m of Sunday’s Classic Cup at Sha Tin as the emerging star bids to claim the first two legs of the Classic Series.

Little Paradise produced a stunning performance to overcome a troubled run in the straight and blow his rivals away by two lengths in the first leg of the four-year-old series, the Classic Mile on February 1.

The victory drew high praise from Ting, jockey Vincent Ho Chak-yiu and others after the son of Toronado unleashed a blistering turn of foot after being badly held up for clear running from the 400m to the 200m.

Ting opted not to trial Little Paradise in between runs and said his stable star’s demeanour continues to improve.

“I think the horse is fit enough. There’s no need to push him too hard – we’re focusing on the Derby, not only the Classic Cup, so I hope he can improve again going to the Derby,” said Ting.

“After the last race, he’s much more calm so I think he can handle the 1,800m.”

Little Paradise passed his first 1,600m test with flying colours in the Classic Mile, breaking the race record time to improve his imposing record to six wins from nine starts.

Seven of the past 10 Classic Mile winners have gone on to taste further success in the prestigious four-year-old series and he will attempt to join the likes of Sun Jewellery, Rapper Dragon, Golden Sixty and Helios Express in securing the Classic Mile-Classic Cup double.

The city’s most prized race, the HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2,000m), is on March 22.