06-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Zac Purton ‘excited' about potential world series, but HKJC not keen to play host
Zac Purton hopes the potential formation of a global competition for elite jockeys will bring the sport in front of a new audience and drive the industry forward, however the Hong Kong Jockey Club has confirmed it does not intend to host a leg of the proposed 'world series'.
The most successful jockey Hong Kong has seen, Purton is in line to be one of the stars of the global competition, which could also feature the likes of James McDonald, Frankie Dettori, Ryan Moore and Yutaka Take.
Hong Kong-based Vincent Ho Chak-yiu is also on the list alongside Irad Ortiz Jnr, Joao Moreira, William Buick, Christophe Lemaire, Mickael Barzalona and Flavien Prat.
Devised by former Godolphin chief executive John Ferguson and ex-Entain Australia deputy chief Lachlan Fitt, the series could have events in the United States, the Middle East, Asia and the United Kingdom, but it's unlikely to be seen in Hong Kong.
'The club is aware of the proposal. It is not our intention to participate as a host of a race meeting,' the Jockey Club said in a statement.
It's been touted the series will have a prize pool of US$15 million and jockeys will operate their own franchises as team principals.
Whether Purton gets the all-clear to take part as a jockey remains to be seen, but he is excited by the concept nonetheless.
'To be honest, it's probably hit the press a bit sooner than we'd have liked,' said Purton. 'Everything is still in its infancy but it's very exciting – it's a strong list of jockeys from all corners of the world.
'We're going to need the support of the jockey clubs and we'll need to find some sponsors. Ultimately, we're hoping we can help grow and drive the industry while bringing in a new audience.
'For me personally, it's going to be up to the Hong Kong Jockey Club as to whether I can ride in it or not. At the end of the day, I'm contracted to them and whatever decision they come to I'll accept.
'If I can't ride in it, I can still be team principal in it and that puts me in a position where I can choose another jockey to compete.
'I think racing has done a pretty poor job in many respects about promoting the sport and getting a new, younger audience into it.
'I think it will be exciting to be able to be like Formula One and LIV Golf, and take teams around the globe to new locations and build the brand.
'There's still a lot of water to flow under the bridge and some things to iron out, but we're all passionate about it and excited to try and drive it forward and make it happen. I think it's good for the sport but time will tell.'
Racing has hit the mainstream again in recent weeks with the new Netflix show Race For The Crown, which is centred around some of the participants of last year's US Triple Crown, proving very popular.
Irad Ortiz Jnr, who is touted for the new jockey series, features in the Netflix documentary and Purton thinks something similar could work in Hong Kong.
'I've always thought Hong Kong would be a great place to do a series because we have a set amount of jockeys, trainers, horses and tracks – plus we all live next to the track,' said Purton.
'It would be so easy to get a lot of content, but it hasn't happened until now with this new racing series on Netflix. We'd be able to take some cameras around with us and create a series for TV as we went.
'I know all the jockeys from Asia, Australia and the UK, but I'm not familiar with US racing at all really so it'll be good to meet and get to know Irad.
'It would be good to see all the personalities over there and they've just had the Netflix series come out and I found that really interesting.'
