Eager to improve on a successful second season in Hong Kong, Mark Newnham is banking on the brilliance of champion jockey Zac Purton in his bid to strike at Happy Valley’s first meeting of the term on Wednesday night.

After a strong debut campaign in the city with 31 wins, Newnham made impressive progress to notch 44 victories last term highlighted by My Wish’s success in the Classic Mile.

The astute Australian handler has one simple aim for the new season.

“I’ll just try to do better than last season. We had 44, so if we can do better than that, that’s pretty good,” Newnham said.

“We’ve got some lightly raced horses, a couple established horses and a few new ones, so we’ve got a good mix and we’re hopeful of having another good season.”

While he left Sunday’s season opener at Sha Tin empty-handed, Newnham heads to the city circuit boasting a solid team of seven runners as he aims to get off the mark.

And the 57-year-old has earmarked Super Unicorn and Super Charizzard, who will be ridden by Purton, as his prime chances.

“The best of them would be Super Unicorn in Class Four with Zac on,” Newnham said.

“He’s drawn reasonably well [in barrier five], so I’d say he’s our best. Probably him and Super Charizzard – both down in class and both get Zac, so they’d be our best two chances.”

Fresh from a career-best opening-day haul of five winners, Purton hops back aboard Super Unicorn in the first section of the Class Four Kwun Tong Handicap (1,650m) after guiding him to his only career win last October when he was trained by Frankie Lor Fu-chuen.

The Savabeel gelding joined Newnham’s team late last term and produced a solid fourth at the course and distance of Wednesday night’s race to go with two fifths.

Super Charizzard, a two-time Class Five winner over 1,200m at the Valley last season, tackles Wednesday night’s opening race, the Class Five Admiralty Handicap (1,200m).

Newnham also has representation in the two strongest races on the eight-race card – Casa Rochester in the Class Three Central Handicap (1,650m) and consistent sprinter Power Koepp in the Class Three Wan Chai Handicap (1,200m).

“Power Koepp was in good form last season,” said Newnham, who scored 24 wins at the Valley last term.

“Lucky Sam Gor put together a couple of good runs last season. He’s drawn a little awkward in seven, but he’s going well. Happy Boys is down at the bottom of the weights from an inside draw [in four] and Setanta’s on a rating where he’s competitive. A few of them are chances.”

Newnham is optimistic about the return of My Wish, who also ran slashing seconds in the Classic Cup (1,800m) and Hong Kong Derby (2,000m), as well as a solid fourth to Red Lion in the Group One Champions Mile earlier this year.

The highest-rated galloper in Newnham’s stable on a mark of 105, My Wish comfortably won a trial on the Sha Tin dirt last Tuesday.

“He trialled super,” Newnham said. “He’s our flagship horse. He’s come back well – he looks like he’s improved a little bit again.

“He’ll have another trial and then run on the 28th [in the Group Three Celebration Cup (1,400m)].

“I think especially for the first part of the season, I wouldn’t be looking at going past a mile. We’ll just look at the traditional lead-ups to the international mile in December.”