Latest news with #CopartnerFleet
New Paper
17-07-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Poon wins Tony Cruz Award by a whisker
HONG KONG Matthew Poon withstood an inspired season-finale push from Derek Leung, to claim his first Tony Cruz Award as Hong Kong's leading home-grown jockey in dramatic circumstances at Happy Valley on July 16. With Leung's wins on Me Tsui's Vulcanus in the Class 4 Let Me Fight Handicap (1,200m) and Frankie Lor's Regal Gem in the Class 3 Sun Jewellery Handicap (1,200m), officials resorted to a countback for thirds after both Poon and Leung finished tied on 36 wins and 38 seconds. Poon, who honed his craft in Adelaide where he earned his nickname the Poon Train, claimed the award named after the former legendary Hong Kong jockey, now a top trainer, with 56 thirds to Leung's 35. "It's a really great competition and good motivation for all of us. We stay very focused and hungry throughout the season," said Poon, who enjoyed successful stints at Kranji as an apprentice jockey attached to the Shane Baertschiger yard in 2017 and 2018. "All of the local jockeys improve as a result. I think it really encourages every local jockey to improve. "I'm so glad I can get there and it means a lot to win my first one. Hopefully I'll win a second one." Without a win in 39 rides since June 4, Poon owed his eventual crowning - his second after the Hong Kong champion apprentice title seven years ago in the 2017-18 season - to his second placing on Ragnarr behind Speedy Smartie in the opening event, the Class 5 Silver Grecian Handicap (1,200m). Incidentally, Speedy Smartie handed trainer Benno Yung, 66, a perfect send-off with win No. 361 on his last day before retiring. The destiny of the Tony Cruz Award hovered in the balance until the 847th and final race of the season with Matthew Chadwick still able to clinch the coveted prize for the second time with a win on Thriving Brothers, while Poon could have sealed victory with success on Copartner Fleet. Thriving Brothers loomed to take the lead in the straight before finishing fourth, while Copartner Fleet faded into ninth place, leaving Leung to celebrate aboard Regal Gem. Leung finished the season in a blaze with seven wins across the closing eight meetings, but even that late flourish at the eleventh hour proved too little too late for that decisive blow. "The competition is a positive for the local jockeys," said Leung. "It's a good result for me and I hope I can bring this form for next season and have a good start - tonight, I can't catch the (Poon) Train." Already crowned eight-time champion jockey Zac Purton took his final season tally to 138 wins with a race-to-race double on Francis Lui's Highland Rahy and Tony Cruz-trained Beauty Waves in Race 8. Australian trainer John Size who sealed his 13th title last week, returned home empty-handed at the finale, settling on a score of 69 winners. As a spin-off to the trainers' premiership, Caspar Fownes reclaimed his King of the Valley title as Happy Valley's leading trainer of the season when James Orman piloted Monarch County to victory in Race 2. Fownes, who holds the record for the most wins by a trainer at Happy Valley with 628 victories, topped the city circuit's standings this season with 27 to Mark Newnham's 24. HKJC
South China Morning Post
28-06-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Zac Purton officially secures eighth premiership, while Ellis Wong lands maiden Hong Kong treble at 1,002-1
Star Australian is 59 wins clear at the top of the premiership table with only 50 races left in the season It's been a mere formality for months but Zac Purton officially secured his eighth title at Sha Tin on Saturday, banging in a treble to move 59 wins clear in the jockeys' premiership with only 50 races left in the season. Purton moved to 126 winners for the campaign – four short of last season's tally with five meetings remaining – and while he's miles off his Hong Kong record tally of 179 victories, he's striking at a ridiculous 23 per cent. 'It's really nice to win another one. Apart from having a stack halfway through [and missing seven weeks through injury], I've had another good season with a few highlights with some big horses,' Purton said, referring to champion sprinter Ka Ying Rising. 'All in all, I'm very happy again.' Purton opened his account aboard Tony Cruz-trained $1.75 chance Gentlemen Legacy in the Class Three Nam Chung River Handicap (2,000m) before completing a running double aboard exciting three-year-old Copartner Fleet in the first section of the Class Four Beas River Handicap (1,200m). Domination at Sha Tin! 😤 Copartner Fleet gets off the mark in emphatic style and shapes as a 3YO with a big future racing in Hong Kong... @zpurton #SummerSeries | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) June 28, 2025 Having his second career start after running a close second on debut last month, the Francis Lui Kin-wai-trained Copartner Fleet dictated proceedings from the front and put the race to bed early in the straight, eventually saluting by three-quarters of a length to reward those who backed him into $1.8. While Purton's first two victories came aboard progressive gallopers on the turf, he completed his three-timer atop a far more exposed horse on a wet-slow all-weather track. Backed late to jump the $3.2 favourite, Fashion Legend travelled nicely just forward of midfield in the Class Four Sha Tau Kok River Handicap (1,650m) before whistling past his rivals in the straight to salute by a length and a quarter. Fashion Legend's second Hong Kong success at start 23 marked the first leg of a double for his trainer David Eustace, who later took out the Class Four Shan Pui River Handicap (1,400m) with Riding Together. 'He's just taken to the dirt. He's had a couple of wins on it now where everything has gone beautifully,' said Eustace of Fashion Legend, who has won twice from six starts since switching surfaces. 'Good barrier [three] and the pace was not too strong, which allows him to stay on the bridle because he's just got a short sprint over the mile. He's gaining a bit of confidence on the dirt.' Elsewhere on Saturday's twilight card, Ellis Wong Chi-wang punched home his first Hong Kong treble with wins aboard King Oberon, S J Tourbillon and Ariel. Riding at his first meeting since reaching 45 career winners and having his claim reduced from 7lb to 5lb, Wong picked up where he left off before his two-meeting suspension with a breakthrough 1,002-1 three-timer. On fire, @elliswong05! 🔥 Our apprentice scoops a Sha Tin treble with a superb front-running ride aboard Ariel for David Hayes... #SummerSeries | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) June 28, 2025 'This is my first time to have three winners in Hong Kong, so I'm very happy,' Wong said. 'These past few months I have had more support and I really appreciate that. I still have a lot to learn but when the opportunities are coming, I have been lucky to take advantage. 'I'm trying to learn a lot from Zac, from Hugh [Bowman], who is very patient, and I love Vincent [Ho Chak-yiu].' The win of Ariel completed a double for David Hayes after the earlier success of Gallant Crown, with the Australian declaring he's 'no chance' despite drawing within seven victories of John Size in the race for the trainers' title.
