BEAUTY ETERNAL SCORES AN UPSET WIN IN THE FWD CHAMPIONS MILE UNDER A PERFECT RIDE BY PURTON

By Darren Winningham | Sunday, April 28, 2024

The Hong Kong FWD Champions Mile was won by Beauty Eternal in those famous colours that were carried by Beauty Generation, the dual winner of this race in 2018 and 2019, and ironically ridden by Zac Purton as well – owned and raced in the same interests - Patrick Kwok of the Kwok family.

Purton jumped Beauty Eternal out from his wide gate and took up the lead but, at one stage In the straight, Purton must have thought he might be a sitting duck – taking a sustained look over his shoulder to see where Golden Sixty and the rest of the field were.

To his surprise he was out on his own and Beauty Eternal was simply relishing the soft going of the Sha Tin track.

Ultimately it was the brilliance of Purton that won him the race and saw the demise of Golden Sixty who will probably be now retired from racing.

Purton said after the race, “there was no speed in the race, which gave us the opportunity to lead. He just got into a lovely rhythm and controlled the race.”

The trainer of Beauty Eternal, John Size posted his fourth win in the FWD Champions Mile, last having success in the 2017 edition when Contentment won the event.

Size was full of praise of the ride and the tactics adopted by Purton saying, “He got him out of the machines and forward a little bit. No one was very keen to lead so straight to the rail and set it up to suit himself. He went at a pace which suited the horse and was able to kick strongly.”

Size also got the quinella in the race with his other runner Red Lion ridden by Hugh Bowman giving a bold effort in just his second Group 1 start after finishing a solid third in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup.

Beauty Eternal has now proven himself at Group 1 level. He is only lightly raced now winning 9 times from 17 starts with earnings of HK$35.75 million.

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