Jockey Brenton Avdulla shook off Hong Kong racing’s longest active dry spell at Wednesday night’s Sha Tin all-weather meeting, snaring his first victory since November on an evening where breaking droughts was all the rage.

Winless since his success aboard Act Of Faith on November 29, Avdulla had gone 67 rides between drinks before his breakthrough aboard Sky Forever, a lean patch extended by a suspension and his trip home for Christmas and a family wedding.

“I’m happy, obviously things were going well early,” Avdulla said. “I got suspended and then I had a three-meeting gap but it halted all of my momentum.

“What I had worked for at the start of the season was really brought undone. I haven’t checked any numbers or anything, I’ve been riding well but just needed the opportunities.”

Manfred Man Ka-leung’s Sky Forever came from near last to win the second section of the Class Four Kestrel Handicap (1,200m) and hand Avdulla his 12th win of the campaign.

Derek Leung Ka-chun was another jockey to land a welcome success, putting his run of 45 winless rides behind him with victory aboard the David Hayes-trained Chiron in the Class Five Swan Handicap (1,650m).

Chris So Wai-yin then joined in, taking out the first section of the Kestrel Handicap with $40 chance Strive For Glory to put a 43-runner drought – the longest of any trainer – behind him.

Jamie Richards, on the other hand, was tasting success for the third straight meeting when G Liner took out the Class Four Peacock Handicap (1,650m) under Karis Teetan, while the Class Three Flamingo Handicap (1,200m) success of Magniac with Hugh Bowman in the saddle completed the Kiwi handler’s first Sha Tin double since April last year.

“It’s been frustrating how things have started for us this season at Sha Tin,” said Richards.

“You can only play the cards you’ve got and what happens here in Hong Kong is that if they don’t run well, they drop [ratings] points and then they can be effective. Thankfully, we are just taking our time and building for the back end of the season.

“Our two winners tonight were courtesy of very good rides by the jockeys who were on board. It’s very important here in Hong Kong. You need every little percentage that you can get and we’re thankful for their good judgment.”

Bowman only had the chance to deliver for Richards aboard Magniac because Zac Purton was stood down from his final four rides, with Jockey Club broadcasters confirming the reigning champion rider was experiencing lightheadedness.

You certainly couldn’t blame Purton for tapping out halfway through an uninspiring dirt meeting on a freezing Sha Tin night, and the star Australian is expected to be declared fit to ride the city’s leading sprinter, Lucky Sweynesse, in Sunday’s Group One Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m).

Frankie Lor Fu-chuen rung up a milestone of sorts in the night’s feature, with All For St Paul’s becoming the first galloper to win nine races under the trainer’s care thanks to his victory in the Class Two Egret Handicap (1,650m).

Jimmy Ting Koon-ho was also in the winners, with Blissful Star’s triumph in the Class Four Spoonbill Handicap (1,800m) a far cry from the trainer’s debacle of seven days ago.

Ting didn’t have a Happy Valley runner last week after the scratchings of Ai One, Concerto and Alloy King because of inadvertent treatment, but the trainer was all smiles after recouping some of his resultant HK$100,000 fine.

“I needed to find some money so hopefully I can get some more winners to earn back the money. It was just a mix up with the staff, I don’t know what happened, but sometimes people make mistakes,” Ting said.

The night ended on a sour note, with star local rider Vincent Ho Chak-yiu taken to hospital for scans after a fall in the last race.

Ho hit the ground after Romantic Charm came down turning for home in the Class Three Heron Handicap (1,650m), with Jockey Club officials confirming the 33-year-old was conscious following the tumble.