Dizzying success for Zac Purton at Hong Kong International races

by Kim Mullahey · December 16, 2020

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HORSE racing in Hong Kong for Zac Purton reached dizzying highs when the 37-year-old Australian-born champion jockey swept through the Longines Hong Kong meetings first at the International Jockeys Championship (9 December) and just last Sunday in the HK$28 million Group 1 Hong Kong Cup.

Champion jockey Zac Purton on Normcore in the run for the Longines Hong Kong International Cup

Purton outran jockey favourites Joao Moreira and Alexis Badel at Happy Valley to claim the bulk of HK$800,000 in prizes when he earned 20 points in the Longines International Jockeys Championship over four races. He took the Longines Hong Kong Cup when he outran Aidan O’Brien’s Magical with Ryan Moore aboard over the 2,000-meter turf course.

“It is something I am very proud of, it’s a great achievement,” said the reigning jockey champion who also claimed dominance when he broke the International Races win column tie he shared with Frenchman Gerard Mosse. “To also now be the only jockey to win the full set of international races twice is for myself somewhat rewarding. It’s been a great week (and) I am very thankful I get these opportunities.”

Purton’s run for the Longines Hong Kong Cup almost fell as an also-ran until he regained his ride after Christophe Soumillon failed to secure release from quarantine following a recent test for Covid-19. This wasn’t the New South Wales native’s first go-round though at the International Races; he had previously won the Mile as far back as 2012 with Ambitious Dragon and has consistently turned in wins ever since, most notably with Time Warp for the Cup in 2017.

“Initially we sort of confirmed the ride and then when it was announced Christophe was coming they changed their minds,” said Zac Purton. “They are entitled to do that. It was what it was. Thankfully, it come back.”

Zac Purton and Normcore, winners of the Longines Hong Kong International Cup

Hong Kong’s own Vincent Ho was aboard Golden 60 to take the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin with a prize fund of HK$25 million while Ryan Moore on Mogul won the race for the Longines Hong Kong Vase with a purse of HK€20 million.