Back to business for Zac Purton at Happy Valley after big G1 double at HKIR

Cover Dec 1He’s fresh off a dual Group 1 winning weekend but it’s back to business as normal at Happy Valley tonight for Hong Kong’s dominant champion jockey Zac Purton.

Ka Ying Rising sauntered to Hong Kong Sprint victory and Voyage Bubble dug as deep as ever to retain his Hong Kong Mile crown at Sha Tin on Sunday. But three days after the fanfare and the bumper crowd have disappeared from Sha Tin, Purton is set to take seven rides at the city track.

For the eight-time champion jockey, he knows all too well the importance of performing on Hong Kong racing’s biggest day. But, he also recognises there is no such thing as sitting back and admiring your achievements in the cutthroat jurisdiction.

“It was good to have another great day on two great horses,” Purton told The Standard. “Ka Ying Rising put up the performance that we all wanted to see on the international stage.

“With Voyage Bubble, once we got into the trenches, he was up for the fight. It was a great performance from a horse with a big heart.”

“But what’s been done has been done and it’s time to focus on the next job at hand, which is Happy Valley on Wednesday.”

Purton sits on 48 winners at a 22.6 per cent strike rate heading to the 29th meeting of the season at Happy Valley tonight, while his nearest challenger, Hugh Bowman, is 28 behind.

He may be sitting pretty at the top of the table, but in true Purton style, the next target is never far away.

“As nice as it is to have a good day, you can’t rest on your laurels here,” he said. “You’ve got to turn up at every race and every meeting.

“It’s been a great start to the season, but of course you’re always trying to be a bit better and there are a few stables out there I’d like to tap into a little bit more.”

With Top Time’s regular jockey, Keagan de Melo, returning to South Africa, Purton teams up with the Chris So Wai-yin-trained four-year-old for the first time in tonight’s fourth race over 1,650 meters.

The New Zealand-bred gelding has recorded one win and five placings from 11 starts.

“He’s not straightforward but he’s a young horse who’s still trying to work things out,” Purton added. He just needs a little bit of speed on, a little bit of luck and he’ll be right there again.”

In the finale, Purton hopes barrier four will be able to provide the improving South Star with a king run in transit.

“He’s aggressive in the run and last time I had to roll forward from the wide gate and he never switched off,” Purton said. “[Gate] four gives him a chance to get a bit of a softer run and that’s all he needs.”