Zac Purton bagged his biggest haul since the season opener with a five-timer at Sha Tin on Sunday, but the champion jockey’s crucial call on a Classic Mile ride remains up in the air.

Purton was at his brilliant best when booting home Snowthorn, Majestic Valour, Robot Star, China Win and Little Paradise, who was the headline act after claiming the feature Class Two Racing Club Cup (1,400m).

However, the brilliant display arguably made his decision on a Classic Mile ride more difficult, with Little Paradise one of several top chances in his consideration.

Invincible Ibis, who won on Sunday under Hugh Bowman, is another along with Brazilian import Sagacious Life and Beauty Bolt.

“It’s a difficult decision to make because they’re all really nice horses, they’ve all got potential, they’re all owned by great owners and they’re all trained by trainers I regularly ride for, so it’s not easy at all,” Purton said.

“They’ve all come to the races and run well again today. The problem I face is I’ll pick one and then there’s five others there to beat me.”

Little Paradise made it three wins from four starts this campaign and improved his record to five wins from eight starts when making the successful leap to Class Two.

After settling midfield, the $2.05 favourite ran on strongly down the centre of track to take control at the 250m and burst clear of his rivals.

Fellow four-year-old Infinite Resolve burst out of the pack from near last to give chase, but Little Paradise had more than enough in hand to win by a length. Mid Winter Wind was another length and a half behind in third.

“He’s a lovely horse. It was a good, strong race today – got into a lovely spot and had his chance,” Purton said.

“Physically he’s a really nice horse. He just continues to improve and he will continue to improve as well.”

Languishing at the bottom of the trainers’ championship with just seven wins this term, Jimmy Ting Koon-ho hopes Little Paradise can deliver him a rare feature triumph in the first leg of the four-year-old series.

“He’s a very nice horse. After every race, he keeps improving,” said Ting.

“I’ve always thought the mile would be the horse’s best distance. He has been a bit keen before but now he’s much more calm.”

Ting was also hopeful Purton would continue his association with Little Paradise in the Classic Mile.

“I hope he can ride, but I don’t know. No one knows – I think at this stage, he doesn’t know too,” Ting said of Purton, who has ridden Little Paradise in all four starts this season.

Purton started Sunday’s meeting in vintage form, booting home Ricky Yiu Poon-fai’s Snowthorn and the Pierre Ng Pang-chi-trained Majestic Valour in the opening two races.

The 43-year-old added to his haul when he scored on another pair of four-year-olds – Manfred Man Ka-leung’s Robot Star in the second section of the Class Four Wu Kau Tang Handicap (1,400m) and the David Hayes-trained China Win in the Class Four Hebe Haven Handicap (1,800m).

“Robot Star was good, he probably wants further – seven furlongs was a bit sharp for him – and he was good through the line, he was unexposed,” Purton said of Robot Star, who stormed home to beat pacesetter Strathpeffer by a neck.

“China Win, he’s not an easy horse to manage in the mornings – very, very difficult. The boys are doing a good job to manage him as well as they are and on a race day, he doesn’t know what he wants to do in a race. One day, he wants to scream long, the next day he wants to drop out.

“But when the penny drops, he’ll turn into a handy enough stayer. It was a good effort – he had the race run to suit.”