Guiding record-breaking superstar Ka Ying Rising to a second straight unbeaten season and staying injury free has made this campaign one of the most enjoyable in recent years for champion jockey Zac Purton.
With a ninth Hong Kong jockeys’ championship in the bag with an unsurpassable 136 wins this term, the Australian has revelled in Ka Ying Rising extending his win streak to a Hong Kong record 20 and notching an unprecedented 2,000 victories in the saddle in the city.
“It’s been a good season – I can’t complain. I’ve ridden a few winners, reached a milestone and Ka Ying Rising won plenty of races. All in all, it’s been good,” Purton said.
After battling debilitating hip pain for several years, Purton’s body has given him few worries this term, adding to an enjoyable campaign.
“That’s helped as well. The season’s not over yet, hopefully we can get through without any dramas but from that sense, it’s been good,” Purton said.
With four meetings remaining this term, Purton can push his haul of wins into his top four achieved in Hong Kong when he takes nines rides at Sha Tin on Saturday.
The 43-year-old broke the record for most victories in a season with 179 in 2022-23 and also recorded 168 wins in 2018-19, 147 in 2019-20 and 138 last term.
He hops aboard Ricky Yiu Poon-fai’s Rising Force for the first time in Saturday’s feature Class Two Li Cup (1,200m), with the consistent sprinter chasing a third triumph this campaign.
“He’s had a great season, he’s done a really good job and he strikes a small field, so it’s a race where he’s going to get his chance again,” Purton said.
Rising Force finished outside of the top two for the first time this season when fifth behind boom three-year-old Hot Delight last start.
The Deep Field gelding was involved in a fierce battle for the lead with Victor The Winner on that occasion, but with only six rivals Li Cup, he could get an easier run on top of the speed.
Superb Spirit headlines Purton’s weekend rides as the progressive three-year-old bids for a hat trick in the Class Three Philip Chen Trophy (1,200m).
The Francis Lui Kin-wai-trained galloper followed a solid fourth on debut with a pair of impressive Class Four victories.
“He’s done everything that we were hoping he was going to do. He was always a nice horse, he just needed that first run to tighten him up physically,” Purton said.
“He’s a big, strong horse that needed that blow out at race speed to bring him on and it certainly did that, because he’s improved quite nicely from his second start to his third start and hopefully he can carry that on again.”
Purton is hopeful Superb Spirit can make the leap to Class Three on the back of his most impressive performance to date, scoring by a length and a quarter despite lumping topweight of 135lb.
“I liked his last win – I thought it was a good effort. It’s the best turn of foot he’s shown in anything he’s done, so I’m happy with the way he’s progressing,” Purton said.
Superb Spirit drops 9lb and has drawn ideally in gate four. He strikes a winnable Class Three contest featuring the likes of Happy Valley specialist Perfect General, Harmony N Blessed, Spicy Standard and Hong Kong debutants Solid State and Gulu Gogo.
Quick Contribution, Grouper and Lucrative Eight also boast strong claims for Purton, while Happy Action, Daily Fun, Grand Turbo and Savvy Brilliant round out of his book of rides.
