Fiery finger pointing it was not, but Zac Purton still sent some friendly banter the way of Joao Moreira upon getting the better of his rival and winning a Class Four dirt race aboard Perpetual Treasure.
After enduring a frustrating and winless day heading into his last ride in race nine, Purton got one back on Moreira when Perpetual Treasure overhauled Sea Ruby late, before turning back to talk some trash to the Brazilian as he crossed the line.
“I just said, ‘Nice move Joao, but it didn’t work,'” Purton recalled after Moreira attempted to pocket him in the straight with a tactical move. “He made the right move and he thought he had me, but his horse kicked a bit too soon and gave me a chance to get off his heels and catch him.”
Unlike two seasons ago when Purton and Douglas Whyte were warned by stewards to control their post-race emotions and cut out any gesticulations, there is less of an edge to the Australian’s rivalry with Moreira.
“It’s just friendly, I’ve enjoyed this season and I enjoy riding against Joao, I enjoy the banter,” Purton said, with his sole winner keeping his hopes alive of riding 100 winners in a term for the second straight season.
Purton, who has 89 winners with six meetings to go, has spent a large stretch of this term sidelined through injury and suspensions but his cause will be helped with championship leader Moreira to sit out a two-meeting ban from next week, while Whyte and Brett Prebble will miss the last two meetings.
“I actually think I have ridden better this season than last season,” Purton said, his claim backed by the fact his strike rate is above 20 per cent this time around, compared to 18 per cent in his championship season.
Perpetual Treasure gave sophomore trainer Benno Yung Tin-pang a 25th winner for 2014-15 after his outstanding first-year output of 37.
Even though Perpetual Treasure has American breeding on both sides of his pedigree – dirt influences like Mr Prospector and Seattle Slew are prominent – and has shown his best on the dirt so far, Yung hopes the four-year-old’s talents aren’t confined to the all-weather track.
“Obviously he goes well on it, but his first run here on turf was OK over at Happy Valley. Perhaps we can try him on turf here,” he said.
Purton said the key to Perpetual Treasure’s win was a clean getaway, which allowed the import to sit up just behind the speed.
“He has missed the start a few times – this time he landed in the right spot,” he said.
– scmp.com
