Bundle Award scrambles home for Group Three glory despite leaving Zac Purton ‘sore'
Zac Purton overcame some early adversity to scramble heavy favourite Bundle Award home in the Group Three Queen Mother Memorial Cup (2,400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.
The $1.85 favourite gave his backers some early nervous moments when exiting the stalls sideways and forcing Purton's foot against the stalls, with the Aussie adjusting his stirrup soon after.
Bundle Award sat last throughout the journey, stalking Noisy Boy as two of the three Tony Cruz-trained runners, Winning Dragon and La City Blanche, setting a very moderate pace in front.
There was further frustration for Purton as he was forced wide into the straight, but Bundle Award – running over the trip for the first time – was always going to be dangerous off a slow pace and pounced late to deny a spirited Noisy Boy in the final strides.
Stayer on the rise? 👀
Bundle Award outstays rivals to win the six-runner G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup over 2400m for @zpurton and John Size at Sha Tin! 🏆#LoveRacing | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/uZm3KMPD9j — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) May 4, 2025
'He came out sideways and banged the gate and it's my sore foot, too, so it's in a bit of pain,' said Purton in reference to the broken left big toe he suffered in a fall in February.
'They went really slow, which was always going to play into my hands because he's got the best turn of foot of any horse in the race.
'It became a sprint home. He had it won a fair way out but he just didn't know how to put them away. He's learning but he did a good job.'
It was a third Queen Mother Memorial Cup victory for Purton, while trainer John Size was winning it for the first time since his breakthrough success with Dr Well in 2006.
Seventh in the Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) in March, Bundle Award could now be set for the Group One Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m) later this month.
'It was hard to predict how they'd run the race. It was probably always going to be a slow-run affair, but a long way from home it looked like he might be able to win the race,' said Size.
'It was just a matter of whether he was in the frame of mind to go on with it. Physically he's fine, I think he's just got to learn a little bit more about racing and a little bit more about how to win a race.
'He actually did that as soon as he walked into the stable – he looked like he was going to settle in pretty quickly and he won his first race pretty quickly after he was here.
'He's been really good for us and he's performed admirably today. It was a big job for him to do that – to go to another distance and still win.
'We'll see how he is,' added Size when asked about a potential run in the Champions & Chater Cup on May 25. 'He's not rated up to that at the moment, but let's have a look and see what's available for him.'
The win capped off a good day for Size and Purton, who also won with the talented but quirky Crossborderpegasus in the Class Three Gascoigne Handicap (1,200m).
Crossborderpegasus always travelled ominously well in mid-pack under Purton, but he hung badly right under pressure and forced Purton to win the race with both hands on his left rein.
'He's just a really difficult horse to ride,' Purton said of the Rich Enuff gelding. 'He's got bad habits and it's very hard to keep him straight and it might be better for him at 1,400m.'
And trainer Size had some sympathy for Purton, who likely added some arm pain to the later bang to the foot in the feature.
'I haven't seen the head on, but I'm sure it was a bit uncomfortable for him,' said Size. 'Anyway, [Crossborderpegasus is] making progress and he's winning races, so we'll see how we go with him.'
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