Latest news with #Bottomuptogether
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Frankie Lor backs brilliance of Purton: ‘Zac always rides this horse better than the other jockeys'
Frankie Lor Fu-chuen is backing the brilliance of Zac Purton to be the difference when Bottomuptogether tackles Saturday's Class Two HKU Business School And Faculty Of Engineering Handicap (1,200m) at Sha Tin. Bottomuptogether has compiled a strong record over 1,200m on the Sha Tin turf this season without actually winning, racing at the course and distance five times for four seconds and a third. A galloper who likes to race on pace, Bottomuptogether will have to overcome barrier 10 of 11 if he is to add to his wins under Purton at Happy Valley and on the Sha Tin dirt this season. 'This time he has drawn 10, which is a little bit awkward because inside him he has some horses who are quite fast,' said Lor. 'It will depend on how he jumps. If he jumps better than the others maybe he can lead, but if someone goes crazy in front maybe he can take a sit. There's the four-timer! 🙌 Bottomuptogether wins the Class 2 Kowloon Bay Handicap easily to seal @zpurton's Sunday quartet at Sha Tin... #LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) April 20, 2025 'I think Zac knows the horse more than me. Zac always rides this horse better than the other jockeys, so I'll just leave it to him.' Bottomuptogether must carry 133lb in a hot Class Two contest featuring the likes of Raging Blizzard, Wunderbar and Gorgeous Win. After three Sha Tin turf wins under Purton to begin his career last season – two at 1,000m and one at 1,200m – saw Bottomuptogether's rating jump 27 points to 79, the four-year-old has pushed onto triple figures this campaign. While Lor feels it's been a slow burn for the son of Shamus Award, he hopes the 102-rated speedster has Group racing in his future. 'I hope so, because he's a horse who has improved slowly, slowly. He just gets a little bit better each time. He's still young, he's only four years old, so I hope next season we can try for Group Races,' said Lor, pointing to the fact Bottomuptogether's full-brother and stablemate, Beauty Live, has won at a mile in Class Two. Ice cold from the Zac-Man! 🥶 FUN N FUN TOGETHER dominates from start to finish to win at Sha Tin under the champion jockey @zpurton. #HKRacing | @FCLOR_RACING — Hong Kong Racing (@HongKong_Racing) May 18, 2025 'His full-brother is Beauty Live so hopefully he can handle a bit longer in time, but at this stage he's still a bit keen in the early stages so I'll leave him at 1,200m until he can relax more.' Also among Lor's eight-strong Sha Tin hand is Fun N Fun Together, a last-start winner who will also carry 133lb under Purton. Drawn gate five for the Class Four HKU Faculties Of Dentistry And Social Sciences Handicap (1,200m) on the all-weather track, Fun N Fun Together is another who likes to set the tone from the front. 'If he can lead by himself he is better. We have drawn five and I hope he can do the same – just jump and roll in front. He's in good form,' Lor said of his four-year-old. Sitting on 44 successes for the campaign – two behind last season's haul – Lor also saddles up Money Tycoon, Dreaming Winner, Musang King, Lucky Archangel, Money Catcher and Victory Moments.
South China Morning Post
20-04-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Zac Purton creates history again in Champions Day warm-up with Sha Tin four-timer
Champion jockey sets a new Hong Kong record for all-weather wins after striking top form on Sunday Zac Purton broke another of Douglas Whyte's all-time records and warmed up for Champions Day in style with a four-timer at Sha Tin on Sunday. Having soared past Whyte's record of 1,813 Hong Kong wins in January, Purton added another to his list of achievements when he eclipsed the benchmark of wins on Sha Tin's all-weather track. The seven-time champion Hong Kong jockey booted home Meepmeep, Chill Kaka and Bottomuptogether on the dirt to lift his career tally to 165 wins on the surface. Whyte held the record with 163 wins. 'It's good to tick that off. It's a track where you need a horse that likes it and is in form,' Purton said. There's the four-timer! 🙌 Bottomuptogether wins the Class 2 Kowloon Bay Handicap easily to seal @zpurton's Sunday quartet at Sha Tin... #LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) April 20, 2025 'When they are in form, it really helps. I like ticking those boxes off, another one.' Purton struck top form at the perfect time as he prepares for a big Champions Day assault on Sunday, headlined by the ride on superstar sprinter Ka Ying Rising in the Group One Chairman's Sprint Prize (1,200m). The Australian rider will also be aboard in-form New Zealand galloper El Vencedor in the Group One QE II Cup (2,000m) and Galaxy Patch in the Group One Champions Mile. Racing on dirt for the first time, Bottomuptogether maintained his consistent form from the turf to make all in the Class Two Kowloon Bay Handicap (1,200m). Sent off the $5.45 second favourite, the Frankie Lor Fu-chuen-trained gelding fired to the front from gate four and was never headed when blitzing his rivals by two and a quarter lengths. Sing Dragon, who was heavily backed into $2.9 favouritism, ran on for second ahead of Beauty Waves, who could back up in the Chairman's Sprint Prize after a solid dirt debut. Unbeaten from his first three starts, Bottomuptogether has also notched a Happy Valley win and three seconds in a consistent campaign this term. 'Everyone said he trialled six times on the dirt for four wins and two seconds, but sometimes we don't know whether they can win in a race on the dirt,' Lor said. 'He had a good draw and went forward to lead on his own. Zac said he went smoothly and won easily. There aren't many dirt races in Hong Kong, so we'll maybe look at the turf at Sha Tin or Happy Valley next.' John Size's Meepmeep started Purton's bumper day with a first win at start 13 in the Class Five Luk Wu Handicap (1,650m), while Ricky Yiu Poon-fai's Chill Kaka made it back-to-back wins with a tough performance in the Class Four Ma Tau Kok Handicap (1,650m). Purton's other winner, Top Dragon, broke the Class Four 1,400m record at Sha Tin with a breakthrough success in the Tsing Lung Tau Handicap. After two close seconds from his first four starts, the Chris So Wai-yin-trained gelding delivered on his potential with an effortless victory by two and a quarter lengths. 'He's got ability, he's only three-years-old and I always tell the owners he's a good horse,' So said after Top Dragon lowered Perfect Pair's 2020 class record by 0.04 seconds. 'He's just needed a bit of time. So far, in five starts, he's won and run two seconds and we knew that he's got ability, but I didn't want to rush him.' Lor finished with a double after the progressive South Star won the final race under Andrea Atzeni, who notched a brace of his own after also booting home the Size-trained Must Go. Trainers' championship leader Size moved to 50 wins for the term after also preparing a double.
