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.
