A relieved Cody Mo Wai-kit is enjoying the “less pressure” that comes with bagging a win, but while the rookie trainer got the monkey off his back at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, there are still three trainers yet to hit the board in 2023-24.

One is Mo’s fellow rookie, Mark Newnham, who has had one second but no victories from his 12 runners across this season’s first eight meetings.

Newnham is no doubt itching to get the first one out of the way and will be hoping the horse who delivered that runner-up result – Mission Bravo – can go one better when he steps out again at Sha Tin on Sunday.

It is certainly not all doom and gloom for Newnham – Jamie Richards took until October 12 to land his first success but went on to post 35 wins in his maiden campaign last term – but he needs to find a victory soon to avoid the unwanted attention that comes with being “unlucky”.

The trainer likely to be feeling the pinch the most is Jimmy Ting Koon-ho, who remains winless from 22 starters.

After 38 victories in his debut season in 2018-19, Ting’s output has decreased each campaign. Last term, he finished with 26 successes.

Perhaps more concerning for Ting is he has always been a solid starter previously. Before this season, he had never had fewer than three wins in September.

And then there is the master, John Size. Much is made of Size’s patience early in a campaign, and the unflappable veteran will not have batted an eyelid through eight winless meetings, but that does not change the fact this is, in terms of the calendar, as far as the 69-year-old has ever got into a season without troubling the scorers.

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In 2001-02, Size famously went until October 7 without a winner before surging to the premiership in his rookie year.

Since then, only twice – 2006-07 and 2009-10 – has the 12-time champion trainer entered October winless, but on each occasion he knocked his early-season drought on the head on National Day.

It is unlikely to be long before talk of Size droughts is long forgotten, however, and he does look well equipped to ensure his new “personal worst” does not extend beyond October 8.

Of his nine runners on Sunday’s 10-race programme, Endeared, Red Desert and Reward Smile are among those who look legitimate winning chances.