Jamie Richards heads to Happy Valley on Wednesday night hoping a trio of last-start winners can continue to defy the handicapper.

Three of Richards’ seven runners on the card will be attempting to follow up recent victories, but the trainer is unsure whether they have enough points in hand to immediately deliver again.

Ernest Feeling has won three of his last four starts, two with Richards this season and the other when trained by Richard Gibson last term, and the six-year-old benefited from a change of tactics when making most of the running under Antoine Hamelin to win over course and distance at the end of last month.

Now up to a mark of 50 less than a year after winning his first race in the city for Gibson off a rating of 24, Ernest Feeling may be approaching the ceiling of his ability as Richards prepares to put a saddle on him in section one of the Class Four Club Handicap (1,200m).

“He’s going to find his rating at some stage,” Richards said. “He drew the right barrier, got the gun run and won nicely last time. He won three in Class Five last season and everyone sort of thought that was his limit.

“He’s continued to step up since he’s been with us, so he could be another nice chance. He seems to be pretty honest.”

Armour Eagle represents Richards in the Class Three Chater Handicap (1,200m) and faces a rematch against Bon’s A Pearla.

Armour Eagle came out on top by half a length under James McDonald when the pair met over course and distance last time and that form looks solid, with Bon’s A Pearla making a quick turnaround to win at the Valley on her latest start a couple of weeks ago.

Richards feels his six-year-old is again likely to run well but is concerned that the handicapper may have his measure.

“He won well last time,” Richards said. “He got back down to his rating and now he’s got to go back up again.

“He’s got to get a nice run. If he can do that he can be competitive again, but it doesn’t get any easier for him when the handicapper puts him up again.”

Colourful Baron is another runner Richards inherited from Gibson and the five-year-old finally got his head in front last time on his 21st start in Hong Kong.

That victory came at Sha Tin but Richards is switching Colourful Baron back to the Valley for the Class Five Murray Handicap (1,800m) and feels he could be his best chance of coming away from the meeting with a winner.

“He could have a few rating points in hand,” Richards said. “He’s a European horse who has taken a while to work it all out.”

Away from his last-start winners, Richards runs Enfolded and Happy United in the Class Three Hong Kong Club Challenge Cup (1,000m), Dan Attack in section two of the Club Handicap and Casa Cosmo in the Class Four Jackson Handicap (1,800m).