He’s enjoying the most prolific season of his career and Derek Leung Ka-chun has assembled a set of numbers to make any punter sit up and take notice through the first 68 meetings of 2020-21.

Not only is Leung the second-most profitable rider behind Vagner Borges – a $10 win bet on each of his 451 rides has returned $964.50 – but he’s got the third-best record on favourites, striking at 44 per cent to sit behind only Vincent Ho Chak-yiu (49 per cent) and Matthew Poon Ming-fai (46 per cent).

And while the 32-year-old is only one win off his season-best tally of 37 in 2017-18 after reeling off four winners in the past three meetings, he sits equal sixth in the jockeys’ premiership despite only riding nine favourites for the season.

Compare that to Joao Moreira’s 216 market-leading rides and Zac Purton’s 171 and it becomes clear just how far above his weight Leung is punching.

Derek Leung in career-best form after Sha Tin treble: ‘I’ve got more confidence’

Add in the fact 16 of his winners have come at double-figure odds – including quotes of $49, $60 and $69 – and it’s not a stretch to suggest Leung is riding as well as he ever has.

Despite his strong form, the two-time Tony Cruz Award winner as Hong Kong’s leading local jockey was as unassuming as ever after booting home the Ricky Yiu Poon-fai-trained Love Me More at $35 at Sha Tin on Sunday.

“I will say that I think I keep improving and I hope that I’m better,” Leung said. “I just have to keep working hard and hopefully I will get more good rides.

“In Hong Kong, the horses with the best chances get taken by Zac or Joao or someone else but I still have good support and decent chances – not the best, but decent chances. I just try to make less mistakes and try to do my best.

“It will be good to break my own record and my target is over 45, so hopefully I can make it.”

Leung heads to Happy Valley on Wednesday night with seven rides, highlighting the David Hayes-trained Give Way Please as one galloper he’s looking forward to teaming up with.

The four-year-old has raced just off the lead before fading in two runs down the Sha Tin straight, once as favourite and once as the second elect, and Leung plans to give his mount every chance to hit the line in the Class Four Ma Tau Kok Handicap (1,000m).

“He’s not a bad horse but he can get nervous and he doesn’t breathe properly, but if he has a smooth run I think he can finish well,” the jockey said of the son of Sebring, who returns to the races for the first time since October with five trials under his belt.

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“He can jump very fast but if you try to hunt him up there in the early stages he can’t relax. If you go smooth on him and put him in a handy position I think he can kick.”

Leung also has three rides for Paul O’Sullivan – Won Ball, Casimiro and Lobo’s Legend, who has his first run since December in the Class Two Hok Yuen Handicap (1,200m) after a fetlock injury.