Reigning champion trainer Francis Lui Kin-wai roared to life at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, kick-starting his 2024-25 campaign with a treble.

After one win from the first three meetings, Lui resumed normal service thanks to the victories of Sweet Briar, Forever Glorious and Brave Star.

“It’s surprised me, to have a few winners,” Lui said after joining premiership leader Danny Shum Chap-shing and Mark Newnham on four winners.

“Brave Star likes to run fresh, Sweet Briar was dropping in class and Forever Glorious is an honest horse but he needs the situation to suit. Hopefully I can keep going.”

Sweet Briar has now won his past three starts in Class Four after closing strongly to snare the third section of the Wong Chuk Hang Handicap (1,200m), while Forever Glorious produced a fighting victory from the front in the Class Four Hong Kong Country Club Challenge Cup (1,800m).

Brave Star saluted for the first time in 18 months, stalking the pacesetters before slicing up the inside to bag the Class Three Island Handicap (1,200m).

Sweet Briar’s success completed an early double for jockey Lyle Hewitson after he earlier took out the first section of the Wong Chuk Hang Handicap aboard the night’s only successful favourite, Golden Luck.

“I’m only on three winners so far but last meeting I had three seconds, a third, a fourth and a fifth and was always in the money,” said Hewitson of his solid start to the season.

Karis Teetan opened his 2024-25 account with a double of his own, landing the Class Five Tai Hang Handicap (1,000m) aboard Me Tsui Yu-sak’s Happy Tango and the Class Three So Kon Po Handicap (1,650m) atop the David Hayes-trained Star Contact.

“I can’t complain, to be honest. It’s just Hong Kong and I just had to keep my head high and just keep on working,” Teetan said of his winless start.

Andrea Atzeni’s win aboard Forever Glorious was his first of the season, while Michael Chang Chun-wai and Keith Yeung Ming-lun also tasted success for the first time this season with victory in the night’s feature.

In a strong Class Two featuring the likes of Chill Chibi, Yellowfin and Helene Feeling, Woodfire Bro proved too strong and the joy was there for all to see, with Yeung standing high in his irons and punching the air upon crossing the line.

Earlier, Caspar Fownes and Hugh Bowman took out the opening race for the second consecutive meeting thanks to the success of Perfect General in the second section of the Wong Chuk Hang Handicap.

Having his second start, Perfect General worked his way to the front in the early stages before holding off favourite Chateauneuf gallantly late.

“He’s a nice horse. He showed that with his run getting beaten down the straight 1,000m and he came through the summer break very nicely and his work was good leading into this race,” Fownes said.

“I decided to run him at Happy Valley and bring him for some experience for a young horse. It was good – I’m glad we got a winning result.

“He relaxed when he got to the front and he’s not a one-style horse.

“Looking at the competitors, we thought we had a chance to cross and get to the rail, so I used that for my advantage, but going forward, I think this horse can be ridden anywhere. He’s quite versatile and he’s quite nice.”