PURTON SENDS A CLEAR MESSAGE TO HIS RIVALS

By Darren Winningham | Tuesday, December 6, 2022

The Longines International Jockey Championship, which takes place at Hong Kong’s Happy Valley racetrack on Wednesday night, has ... as it usually does ... attracted a formidable line-up of world class jockeys.

Despite being stood down last Wednesday night at Happy Valley due to a positive COVID-19 test, Australian Zac Purton quickly showed he had shrugged off any ill affects by striking back immediately, riding at treble in consecutive races at Sha Tin last Sunday.

Purton managed to claim race numbers seven through to nine in yet another masterful display of riding, in the process sounding a warning to those jockeys who are coming to Hong Kong to try and get the better of him.

Purton is looking for an unprecedented hat trick of wins in the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) on Wednesday. He not only won the event in 2020 and 2021, but he was previously also crowned the Champion in 2017.

The draw for the horses took place on Monday at Sha Tin and Purton has drawn these runners:

Race 4 – Supreme Lucky – trained by Danny Shum
Race 5 – Copartner Era – trained by W So
Race 7 – Packing Famous – trained by Danny Shum
Race 8 – Xponential – Douglas Whyte

Purton’s horses are all well drawn and well placed – he can land a hat trick for mine.
____________________________________________________________________

In other IJC news, the Japanese representative Yuga Kawada tested positive for COVID-19 prior to leaving Japan and has been replaced by Lyle Hewitson.

Hewitson, who originally hails from South Africa, returned to Hong Kong in November 2021. He suffered a shocking fall in the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (Group 1) nearly twelve months ago but, since returning to the saddle, he has been consistently posting winners. He adds another dimension to the IJC.

Hollie Doyle who returned a positive COVID-19 test on arrival in Hong Kong was the other rider of concern. However, on Tuesday morning the HKJC cleared her to take her position in the star-studded field of 2022.

With regard to Doyle, the HKJC advised:

‘After careful clinical and laboratory assessments with the results having been communicated to the Government, the CMO is satisfied that Jockey Doyle is medically fit to fulfil her race riding engagements at the Happy Valley Race meeting to be conducted on Wednesday, 7 December 2022.

Doyle will represent Britain with her husband Tom Marquand along with Ryan Moore.

Doyle and Australia’s Jamie Kah will both be striving to become the first female Jockey to win in the LONGINES International Jockeys Championship.
_______________________________________________________________________

And the last word ... from the HKJC CEO.

“It’s always difficult to say it is the best IJC ever, but I think it is,” Winfred Engelbrecht-Bresges told HRO’s Darren Winningham.

“It is terrific that we have attracted jockeys of that calibre ... and they are also in-form jockeys, like Ryan (Moore) who is flying at the moment. Two female riders are in it ... and that is fantastic.

“We expect a really good competition. We know our fans will be happy to support it and there will be a wonderful atmosphere at the track.”

More articles