Zac Purton produced an early contender for ride of the season at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, weaving Sunday's Serenade through the field from near last to win the Class 4 Fat Tseung Handicap (1,650m).
Jamie Richards' six-year-old jumped from barrier nine on the C+3 course, and Purton chose to find the fence rather than race wide, a decision that cost ground early and left the gelding second-last.
The nine-time champion jockey stuck to the inside from there, improving to seventh on the home turn before finding a split in the straight. Sunday's Serenade, the second favorite, beat the Caspar Fownes-trained favorite Decision Link by a length and a half, with Class a close third.
"You don't see any better than that. That was outstanding," Richards said. "Fifteen out of 10. Found the fence from nine, came around one horse. Quite incredible. Very, very good ride. As good as I've seen here for some time."
The win capped a recovery for the gelding, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on January 19 to remove a bone fragment. Richards said the firm surface had the stable worried.
"He chipped a knee and, to be honest, Zac came out and said the track's very firm, and we were a little bit concerned that he might not let down," he said. "But he's been up to Conghua and he's got the benefit of all the rehabilitation services up there. He's in the spa and all of those sorts of things.
"He's been a good, honest horse. He wears his heart on his sleeve, he's never far away. It was a very good win, but an even better ride."
Sunday's Serenade had finished second over the course and distance under Purton on September 9. Wednesday's win was his third from 26 starts and was just reward for patient owners Richard Cheng Liquan and Zhou Xuan.
"He can run well at Sha Tin over 1,400, so he's versatile," Richards said. "He's by Ardrossan, who's a good New Zealand stallion. We didn't pay a lot of money for him, but he's really repaid his owners. They've been very patient and very understanding."
