Mark Newnham has high hopes Full Credit will relish a change in venue when the lightly-raced four-year-old heads to Happy Valley for the first time on Wednesday night.

A three-time winner from six starts last term, Full Credit bids to bounce back from a below-par effort on seasonal reappearance at Sha Tin when he jumps from the inside gate in Wednesday’s Class Three Plover Cove Handicap (1,200m).

While Full Credit failed to fire first up on yielding ground over the Sha Tin 1,200m in September, Newnham believes his charge will relish the tight-turning track after trialling impressively at the city circuit last month.

“He trialled really well there and I don’t think it will be a problem for him at all,” Newnham said. “He’s got good speed which is a help at the Valley and he’s a smooth galloping horse, so I think it might suit.

“He was in good enough condition [first up] but he just probably wasn’t 100 per cent, but he’s had a bit of time between runs now and he’s trialled well since, so he goes there in good shape.”

Full Credit got off the mark at the third time of asking last term with a dominant five-and-a-quarter length win in Class Four under Lyle Hewitson.

After finding a couple of rivals too good on his next start on yielding ground, he finished his season with back-to-back victories at Class Three level on firmer surfaces.

The front-running galloper steps back into Class Three company following his disappointing effort in Class Two.

His most immediate dangers include the David Hayes-trained Chateauneuf, who recorded a dominant win over the same course and distance last time out.

After a promising runner-up effort on reappearance, the son of Fastnet Rock obliged as the $2.30 favourite on his first outing in Class Three company on October 9.

He jumps from barrier 10 and must defy a seven-pound rise in the weights under Karis Teetan.

“He won really well and his training suggests he’s gone up another level,” Hayes said.

“It’s a good race but he’s in very good form. I thought if he drew a good gate he’d be very hard to beat – we’ll see how good he is.”

The Pierre Ng Pang-chi-trained Aurora Lady heads to Happy Valley as a leading chance in the contest after his destructive breakthrough win last month.

Winless from his previous five outings, Aurora Lady stretched clear of his rivals for a comprehensive four-and-a-quarter length win under Zac Purton.

The seven-time champion jockey stays on the four-year-old, with Aurora Lady stepping up in grade and jumping from barrier eight.

Elsewhere on the card, Purton hops aboard Chill Chibi for the first time in the Class Two High Island Handicap (1,650m), which also features the hat-trick-seeking Woodfire Bro and in-form Capital Delight.