David Hayes will turn to a three-year-old bursting to score a first career win to break a frustrating winning drought at Sha Tin on Sunday.

The champion Australian handler is pinning his hopes on Circuit Jolly breaking through in the Class Four Tai Mong Tsai Handicap (1,000m) as he bids to end his winless streak of 49 runners.

Since Sight Happy’s Happy Valley victory on December 11, Hayes has produced 12 placegetters including Circuit Jolly, who went agonisingly close when gunned down late by Grand Nova on December 15.

The promising youngster was best known for throwing away potential wins on his first two starts when he attempted to jump a mark near the 170m - the result of an off-season installation of an irrigation pipe.

“He’s jumped it [twice], but down the straight he’s been fine and he’s trialled well down the straight,” Hayes said after switching Circuit Jolly from the 1,200m to 1,000m straight solved the jumping issue last start.

“He just missed the other day and hasn’t gone backwards. He hasn’t run a bad race - he’s looked the winner every start and just been pipped, so as he gets older, he’ll just keep getting better.

“We’ve just kept him fresh [at Conghua]. Hopefully he’s still got the form that he had last start.”

Circuit Jolly jumped to the front for Zac Purton last start and was only run down late by a neck when sent off the $3.4 favourite.

He will have strong claims against 13 rivals on Sunday, which include Cody Mo Wai-kit’s debut winner Alluring Laos.

Hayes is also optimistic Aurio will run well down the straight in the Class Three Tai Tong Shan Handicap after a barnstorming third last Sunday.

Showing sharp improvement on his third Hong Kong start, the former Australian galloper charged from last to finish an eye-catching third behind Super Fortune.

“I think the penny’s dropped and we often say he’s adjusting to the Hong Kong tempo,” Hayes said.

“His last 200m was very powerful, he’s eaten up and done well and I expect a similar run. He’s a horse that’s arrived in Hong Kong and found the tempo a bit quick initially, but he’s adjusted and I just really liked the way he hit the line the other day and I can’t see any reason why he can’t do it again.

“He’ll need a bit of luck coming through them because he won’t have the pace to be up there early, but he will be a strong finisher.”

Aurio won two of his five starts when known as Rapido pre-import.

Ka Ying Radiance, Ariel, Strongest Boy, Celestial Harmony, Von Baer, Swagger Bro, Amazing Run and Stellar Swift are Hayes’ other runners on Sunday.