Cover image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Purton demolishes another record
Jockey Zac Purton took himself into an unassailable lead on the Hong Kong Jockey’s Premiership with a quartet on Sunday at Sha Tin. With 96 wins for the season, he’s 40 wins ahead of second-placed Hugh Bowman, but the real story is that Purton’s quartet gave him a new record.
With 165 wins on the Sha Tin dirt in his career, he is now the winningest jockey on the surface, overtaking Douglas Whyte’s record of 163. Purton also holds the record for the most wins in Hong Kong at 1836, and the record for the most wins at Happy Valley being 694.
Zac Purton aboard Bottomuptogether at Sha Tin on Sunday | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Purton won on John Size-trained Meepmeep (Not A Single Doubt), Ricky Yiu-trained Chill Kaka (Shooting To Win), Frankie Lor-trained Bottomuptogether (Shamus Award), all on the dirt surface and added a win on turf aboard Chris So-trained Top Dragon (Pierata).
“I’m the King of Dirt,” Purton told hkjc.com after winning on Bottomuptogether. “It’s good to tick that off (the Sha Tin dirt record). It’s a track where you need a horse that likes it and is in form. When they are in form, it really helps – I like ticking those boxes off, another one.”
Bottomuptogether was having his first run on dirt. “Everyone said he trialled six times on the dirt for four wins and two seconds, but sometimes we don’t know whether they can win in a race on the dirt,” Lor told scmp.com.
“He had a good draw and went forward to lead on his own. Zac said he went smoothly and won easily. There aren’t many dirt races in Hong Kong, so we’ll maybe look at the turf at Sha Tin or Happy Valley next.”
Winner of his first three in succession in Hong Kong, 4-year-old gelding Bottomuptogether took his record to five wins and four placings from 11 starts with Sunday’s victory. He has earnings over HK$8.5 million (AU$1.7 million), and was a $150,000 purchase by Clarken Bloodstock from Rosemont Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft. A full brother to Group 3 winner Ethical Solutions, their dam G3 Turffontein Pretty Polly Stakes winner Miss Ethics (Saf) (Count Dubois {GB}) has produced five winners.
Class record for Top Dragon
Chris So has a lot of time for 3-year-old gelding Top Dragon, who posted a class record time of 1:20.76 in winning the second race on the card over 1400 metres, making his first victory a memorable one.
“He’s got ability, he’s only 3 years old and I always tell the owners he’s a good horse,” So said. “He’s just needed a bit of time. So far, in five starts, he’s won and run two seconds and we knew that’s got ability but I didn’t want to rush him.”
Top Dragon, a dual Inglis graduate, has done all his racing in Hong Kong where he has had five starts for Sunday’s win and two other placings. Initially sold by B2B Thoroughbreds to Moffatt Breaking and Pre Training for $80,000 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Moffatt on-sold him at the Inglis Ready to Race Sale for $160,000 to Upper Bloodstock and Mick Price Racing.
From the first crop of Pierata, who launched with a boom last season thanks to juvenile stakes winners Coleman and Tobeornottobe, Top Dragon becomes winner number 43 from Pierata’s first crop. He also has three juvenile winners this season with Bang Stick, Yuna Is Pierata, and King Alexander.
Top Dragon is the second foal and second winner for G1 Robert Sangster Stakes-placed Mica Lil (Testa Rossa) who hasn’t produced a foal since. Mica Lil won five races and her dam, six-time winner Gem Stone (NZ) (Pentire {GB}) is a full sister to Group 1 winner Penny Gem (NZ) and a half-sister to Listed winner Fairygem (NZ) (Viscount).
Californiatotality lands betting plunge
The first winner to come out of the Listed Hong Kong Derby field since it was run, 4-year-old gelding Californiatotality (Zoustar) was backed from $16 into $6.20 by punters, who held their breath as he looked under pressure down the straight but he keep on trying for jockey Alexis Badel to get up by a tight margin in a three-way go across the line.
“I think it’s the second or third time he’s beaten that horse, Pray For Mir,” trainer Tony Cruz told scmp.com. Pray For Mir (Justify {USA}) ran second to Californiatotality in both of his wins prior to Sunday's victory.
“Today you can see the lightweights are winning. It’s a fast track today. First, second, third, even fourth – it was all the lightweights coming in. I think 1800’s perfect for him – light weight, even better.” Cruz will contemplate setting Californiatotality for the G3 Premier Plate over 1800 metres in June.
Zoustar is currently sitting in fifth on the Hong Kong Sire’s Premiership with eight winners (of 13 races) led by Patch Of Theta who won the G3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup on New Year’s Day. Californiatotality has won six of his 19 starts and over HK$7 million (AU$1.4 million). He was sold by Segenhoe Stud at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $900,000 to Asian Bloodstock Services and has done all his racing in Hong Kong.
A half-brother to Listed Woodlands Stakes winner Pretty In Pink (Sebring), dam of Californiatotality’s three-quarter-brother Hillier (Zoustar) who placed in this season’s G3 Canonbury Stakes, Californiatotality is also a half-brother to this season’s G2 Roman Consul Stakes placed 3-year-old colt Yoshinobu (Written Tyccon).
Their dam, Total Attraction (Nadeem), won five times and placed in the G2 Moonee Valley Fillies Classic and G2 Let's Elope Stakes. This is the family of Group 1 winners Fields Of Omagh (Rubiton) and The Mitigator (Master Of Design).
Double for Size stretches his lead
John Size looks in line for another Trainer’s Premiership win as a double on Sunday took him to 50 wins for the season, ahead of David Hayes on 42. Zac Purton won on Meepmeep, who finally broke through for a win at his 13th start, and Andrea Atzeni won on 4-year-old gelding Must Go (All Too Hard) who has been consistent recently with two wins in succession.
John Size | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
A winner on debut at Moe at two, Must Go moved to Hong Kong where he’s added another five wins to take his record to six wins from 29 starts, and he’s won three of his last four races and has earnings over HK$8.1 million (AU$1.6 million).
Sold at Inglis Classic Yearling Sale by Barador Stud for $105,000 to L Lee, who retains part of his ownership, Must Go is the second foal and second winner for city winner Madame Moustache (Hinchinbrook) whose 2-year-old filly Mia Mars (Admire Mars {Jpn}) is unraced. She has yearling colt by Tiger Of Malay and a filly foal by Best Of Bordeaux.
