Jockey Zac Purton will enter one of Hong Kong racing’s biggest weeks on the calendar in top form, having scored a double aboard promising three-year-olds Handsome Bo Bo and Ugly Warrior at Sha Tin on Saturday.
Purton, who ended the card with two wins, three seconds and two thirds from nine rides, was cautious about the merit of Handsome Bo Bo’s win in the Class 3 Beyond Arts Appreciation Handicap (1200m), despite the horse racing clear for a three and a half length success. It was the Helmet gelding’s third win in a row, his second by a wide margin.
“He got a very soft lead today and that was key – once they all took a sit behind me, that was that,” Purton said of trainer Manfred Man’s charge. “I think the margin was a little flattering, just because he went so slow through the middle section and cantered home. He’s been flattered a couple of times now, so you probably don’t want to get too carried away, but he’s doing a good job.”
Two races later, Ugly Warrior (130lb) took his record to four wins from five starts with an effortless win for Purton in the Class 3 Age-Friendly City Handicap (1200m) on dirt. The Me Tsui-trained son of Swiss Ace justified his status as even-money favourite, racing clear for a two and three-quarter length victory over Michael Freedman’s Elite Boy (119lb).
“He was good again,” the rider said. “He won it at the start today, he broke much cleaner and he was there pretty comfortably. The only other strong chance, Elite Boy, was unable to get in from the gate, he covered ground and that was the story.
“The form around Ugly Warrior is strong, through the likes of Pick Number One. They will probably clash again and then they will soon run out of races, but that’s life as a dirt horse in Hong Kong.”
With 23 meetings left in the 88-date Hong Kong racing season, Purton trails Joao Moreira by 11 wins in the title race, 96 to 85. However, the Australian rider has also had 11 more runner-up finishes than his Brazilian rival and acknowledges that those missed opportunities could prove the difference in his quest for a second championship.
“I’m working hard and trying my best, so we’ll see what happens, but I have a mountain to climb,” Purton said. “I’ve been pretty stiff in a lot of races recently, I’ve had a lot of seconds that have been very close. If you can walk away from the races with five winners instead of two, it’s a big difference, especially when you know that he is capable of riding five winners himself on any given day.
“I think it’s good that there is a little bit of a competition this season, but it would definitely be nice if it was closer.”
The Australian rider will partner Time Warp (Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup), Beauty Generation (Champions Mile) and Ivictory (Chairman’s Sprint Prize) in the three features next Sunday (29 April), Champions Day.
Zac Purton scored a double at Sha Tin on Saturday, picture Hong Kong Jockey Club
