Wayfoong Vinnie, with Moreira aboard, stands out in Swiftlet

With a little luck, Wayfoong Vinnie would have more to show for his spring starts in Hong Kong.

The winner of a minor handicap March 15, Wayfoong Vinnie was second March 29 and third April 20 in handicaps, encountering trouble in the two losses.

On Wednesday at Happy Valley Racecourse, Wayfoong Vinnie will be the focus for many bettors in the seventh race on the program – the $158,757 Swiftlet Handicap at about six furlongs on turf. Wayfoong Vinnie has been favored in his last three starts, and is likely to hold that status again thanks to the presence of leading rider Joao Moreira.

The Swiftlet Handicap is one of three races worth $158,787 on the Happy Valley program. Wagering is available at DRFBets.com.

Trained by John Size, Wayfoong Vinnie has won 2 of 7 starts during the current Hong Kong season, which began last September. A 5-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding, Wayfoong Vinnie has been racing at five furlongs on turf in recent starts, but did win a six-furlong handicap on turf last November.

One dangerous rival in the Swiftlet Handicap will be Extremely Fun, the winner of a handicap in November who has not raced since late December. The Swiftlet Handicap will be the Hong Kong debut of Granite Belt, who won three of his last four starts in Australia last year.

Wednesday’s sixth race, the $158,787 Victoria Racing Club Trophy at five furlongs on turf, could result in the second win in the last three starts for Circuit King, who was second in front of Wayfoong Vinnie on April 20. Circuit King won a five-furlong handicap on turf at Happy Valley in March against a lower class of competition, and proved he belongs in the tougher division with his latest race.

Perfect Choice, who won three of four starts in Australia last year, all in five-furlong turf races, will start for the second time in Hong Kong in the Victoria Racing Club Trophy. Perfect Choice was eighth in a five-furlong turf sprint at Sha Tin on April 23.

Size has a leading contender in the final race on the program, the $158,787 Tropicbird Handicap at about a mile and 50 yards in Wisky, a winner in February. Wisky was beaten a neck after leading in the stretch of a handicap at about a mile at Happy Valley on April 20.

The Tropicbird Handicap will be a class test for Super Sprinter, who won consecutive starts against lesser fields in November and December. Super Sprinter has not raced this year. A 4-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding, Super Sprinter was scratched April 20 because of unsoundness, according to Hong Kong Jockey Club records.