YET ANOTHER LANDMARK VICTORY FOR ZAC PURTON

By Darren Winningham | Sunday, April 24, 2022

FWD Champions Day saw the favourites win the three feature races, but the undercard also produced a significant result with Zac Purton claiming his win number 1400 in Hong Kong when, in race 5 on the program, he saluted aboard the Tony Cruz trained Beauty Joy, who Purton settled back off the speed before bringing him to the centre of the track and then storming home to get the job done by 1.5 lengths.

It was only fitting that yet another landmark victory for Purton came in the same colours that he carried with so much distinction on the Hong Kong champion Beauty Generation.

Who can ever forget the unique relationship the Purton formed with the John Moore trained Beauty Generation over several years.

Purton has been in Hong Kong since the 2007/08 season and consistently has gained momentum over each season until that momentous moment in the 2013/14 season where he ended the thirteen-year reign of Douglas Whyte as the HKJC Champion jockey riding 112 winners.

Purton is now a multiple Jockey Premiership winner in Hong Kong winning the three seasons since 2017/18 before losing the crown in 2020/21 to Joao Moreira.

The Purton / Moreira battle for supremacy in the saddle is, in itself, always one of the highlights of racing in Hing Kong and this season is no different.

After the FWD Champions Day Moreira leads Purton by only one win. Moreira has posted 106 winners in the current season whilst Purton has 105. Their dominance in Hong Kong is enforced by them leading the nearest rival, Karis Teetan, by 48 wins.

With several weeks to go in the 2021/22 season it will be a battle royale between Purton and Moreira – and of course being a parochial Aussie I am cheering loudly for Purton!

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