In the blink of an eye, Joao Moreira has already put up a six-win break at the head of the Hong Kong jockey championship and is averaging better than two wins a meeting, but rival Zac Purton is getting back into the swing of things and the Brazilian won’t have it all his way from now on.
Strangely, there is no weekend racing in Hong Kong this week and Sha Tin moves to Monday, a public holiday for the Mid-Autumn harvest festival, and that will be followed by another holiday card the following Thursday, when some of Hong Kong’s best gallopers will return for the season in the National Day Cup and Celebration Cup.
Purton did land a win from just four mounts on his first meeting after injury but his dance card is back to normal now with nine rides in the ten races on Monday. His best looks Dennis Yip-trained Lightning And Gold, who backs up quickly from finishing eighth as favourite on Wednesday at Happy Valley. Ridden by a 10-pound claiming apprentice, Lightning And Gold missed the jump, settled last and was never a chance in the race but it wasn’t a tough run and Purton taking over is a very positive signal.
He is one of Yip’s go to jockeys and for that trainer he also gets on Travel Number One, dropping in class, and Real Generous (race five), who put up a huge performance for third first time out this season after missing the start by six lengths.
Purton is on smart dirt galloper Perpetual Treasure in the seventh – the horse he was riding at the trials when another horse kicked the jockey in ankle and caused his injury break – then comes home strongly with lightly-raced Lucky Year, who showed promise with wins last season at his first two starts, and Purton also has prospects with Winning Instinct and Winning Leader.
By Nathan Mody
