#Zac Purton

The HK$18.5 million Longines Hong Kong Sprint has fast become a global sprint championship race, with horses lining up regularly from many of racing's leading jurisdictions to determine which horse is quickest. Originally run over the straight 1000m course as a Listed race, Hong Kong legend Fairy King Prawn won the first edition in 1999. The…

FORMER champion jockey and 15-times Group 1 winner Simon Marshall gives us his insights into all the runners in the 2018 Melbourne Cup. 1. BEST SOLUTION (Barrier 6) Approx win/place odds: $15 / $4. Gutsy Caulfield Cup winner who's drawn perfectly in gate six. It was a terrific win at Caulfield, and came after back-to-back of Group 1 wins in…

Six months ago, I left behind everything I knew in the move from Sydney to Hong Kong, naive and unaware. I mean, how hard could it be? I've made the quantum leap from riding a bicycle with training wheels to riding a unicycle - and there have been plenty of stumbles along the way. I've only just got balanced but there's still a long way to go…

The LONGINES Hong Kong International 2022 racing came to a dramatic close at Sha Tin on Sunday with two hot favorites being defeated in the Group 1 races, but the events of the day did little to diminish the world class racing we got to enjoy over the entirety of the past week. The first upset came in the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase when the heavily…

Set the alarm, stick the kettle on and get in a prime position on Sunday morning for the BMW Hong Kong Derby. This year's renewal looks set to be an absolute belter, and at the reasonable hour of 8:35 am it's worth getting up for. Six of the 14 horses lining up for the Hong Kong racing season's premier event for four-year-olds were previously…

Cheval Grand, shown winning the 2017 Japan Cup, returns seeking a repeat victory in Sunday's renewal. Photo courtesy of Japan Racing Association Nov. 22 (UPI) -- Weekend horse racing action stretches from Tokyo to Bahrain with a stop in England and a quick look at Hong Kong's preparations for its big weekend two weeks down the calendar. The Grade 1…

Hong Kong racing is back Saturday. night, running at 11:30 p.m. EST in North America. Free PPs are available at Horse Racing Nation. Hong Kong Jockey Club website.

The first race is off at 06h30. A reminder to get your selections in for the Hollywoodbets Punters' Challenge. The bonus jackpot is R415000 if you select all the winners on the card! R5000 will be shared if you place in the top 20 of the leaderboard. Entries close 5 minutes before the start of the first race so be sure to get your selections in…

Here are our selections and race summaries.

Golden Sixty: created history by retaining his Champions Mile crown Golden Sixty became Hong Kong's highest earner in history by dominantly retaining the Group 1 FWD Champions Mile on Sunday. California Spangle was given a soft time in front but the 2-5 favourite travelled ominously well throughout under Vincent Ho and picked off that rival easily…

Trained by Francis Lui and paired each time this season with Vincent Ho, the five-year-old - who had corrective throat surgery twice in 2021 - has three wins from four starts this term and once again steps up in grade after victories in Class 4 and Class 5. "His improvement surprised us, for sure, first time in Class 3 with a lighter weight might…

Twice a winner over the course and distance, Beauty Joy finished fourth behind California Spangle, Golden Sixty and Laws Of Indices in the Gr1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) on 11 December but, off-setting a drop in grade, Bowman is concerned by the small field in the HK$3.9 million feature. "If I had to be brutally honest, I think he would be…

At just 14 years of age, Zac Purton made a decision that would change his life. He decided to skip school for a day. "I jumped at the opportunity," Purton recalls with a cheeky smile. Instead of walking through the gates of Coffs Harbour High, the schoolboy went to an RSL club for a jockey recruitment seminar. Not long after, before finishing year…

California Spangle, seen at trackwork Dec. 7, tackles champion Golden Sixty and some tough foreign competition in Sunday's Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Mile. Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Jockey Club HONG KONG, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- The Longines Hong Kong International Races take center stage in weekend horse racing, with competition from around the globe…

Salute the Soldier wins Maktoum Challenge Round 3 on Super Saturday at Meydan, with the next stop the Dubai World Cup. Photo by Erika Rasmussen, courtesy of Dubai Racing Club March 8 (UPI) -- Super Saturday in Dubai, the highlight of weekend horse racing around the world, opened the door to World Cup night for some of the horses who have toiled…

Hong Kong racing is back Friday night at 12:00 a.m. EST in North America. Free PPs are available at Horse Racing Nation. Hong Kong Jockey Club website.

Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Practical Move upset three of trainer Bob Baffert's 2-year-olds in the weekend's feature race, the Grade II Los Alamitos Futurity, adding his name into the mix of candidates for the 2023 Kentucky Derby. Things went a bit more to expectations among the Japanese 2-year-olds as the three favorites reported 1-2-3 in Sunday's Grade 1…

It's been a week of ups and downs in the HK jockeys' room. Matthew Chadwick's good season is on hold after he broke his right ankle in a barrier trial accident on Tuesday and the 32-year-old "will not be fit to resume riding for some time" according to a HKJC statement. Karis Teetan is heading in the opposite direction after a three-month absence…

FORMER champion jockey and 15-times Group 1 winner Simon Marshall gives us his insights into all the runners in the 2018 Melbourne Cup. 1. BEST SOLUTION (Barrier 6) Approx win/place odds: $15 / $4. Gutsy Caulfield Cup winner who's drawn perfectly in gate six. It was a terrific win at Caulfield, and came after back-to-back of Group 1 wins in…

FORMER champion jockey and 15-times Group 1 winner Simon Marshall gives us his insights into all the runners in the 2018 Melbourne Cup. 1. BEST SOLUTION (Barrier 6) Approx win/place odds: $15 / $4. Gutsy Caulfield Cup winner who has drawn perfectly in gate six. It was a fantastic win at Caulfield, and came after back-to-back of Group One wins in…

Zac Purton: claimed the Hong Kong Vase with California Spangle California Spangle denied Golden Sixty a third success in the Longines Hong Kong Mile, with the odds-on favourite beaten by a masterful tactical ride from Zac Purton at Sha Tin. With Golden Sixty in his usual midfield position, Purton pressed ahead on the Tony Cruz-trained runner from…

The Hong Kong International Raceday has arrived with four Group Ones on the menu, highlighted by the HK$34million Longines Hong Kong Cup. Race 1 - Class 4 (1400m) The opener is a Class 4 over the 1400m and CIRCUIT MIGHTY (1) can just about make it back to back wins. The five-year-old has come back in good order this season and was too good for…

Wednesday's Happy Valley races are highlighted not so much by the horses but the riders, as it's Longines International Jockeys Championship day. Seven jockeys from outside Hong Kong join five locally-based riders for the four-race event, which carries a first prize of HK$500000 (about $64000). The international challenge is headed by Ryan Moore,…

Four years on from his busman's holiday during a pre-Covid British summer, Vincent Ho remembers his short spell as part of Mark Johnston's team vividly. "Ryan Moore recommended Mr Johnston because he thought there would be an opportunity to get some rides and I really loved the village of Middleham and the whole experience," he says. "The weather…

HK might as well stand for Hokey Kokey after another week of dramatic ins and outs. In-form Zac Purton was ruled out of Wednesday's Happy Valley meeting, along with French rider Antoine Hamelin, due to a second positive Covid test in recent weeks. Both riders are back in for Sunday's Sha Tin card but Ruan Maia and recent Aussie import Jye McNeil…

The countdown for the Hong Kong International Races is now official on with this being the final Sha Tin card before we dive into the feature raceday on December 11. That's not to mention the International Jockey Challenge set to unfold this Wednesday as the world's best hoops converge on Happy Valley. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves, however,…

Channel Cat, shown winning the Grade I Man o' War in May, is among the favorites for Saturday's Grade II Red Smith Stakes at Aqueduct. Photo courtesy of New York Racing Association Nov. 19 (UPI) -- High-class graded stakes racing is spread across North America this weekend, with a turf showdown in New York, a tough mile event for fillies and mares…

Now 25, and happily married and settled in Hong Kong, Hewitson is the personification of persistence and courage in his third stint in the world-class racing jurisdiction. Hong Kong has always been a mountain South Africa's favourite son has been determined to scale, and even though he only has 12 winners on the board at a relatively humble strike…

Hong Kong racing continues at Happy Valley on Wednesday night with an eight-race program scheduled to take place under lights. Zac Purton looks to bounce from his five-timer at Sha Tin with another excellent book of rides, although it does look a very competitive card compared to his comprehensive book on Sunday. We're racing on the C+3 on…

Gun English jockey Ryan Moore will ride Wellington in next month's Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1200m), with trainer Richard Gibson confirming his stable star is on track for the international races. Wellington pulled up lame after a disappointing sixth in the Group Two Jockey Club Sprint (1200m) on November 20 but Gibson is pleased with how his…

Havnameltdown wins Sunday's Bob Hope Stakes for 2-year-olds at Del Mar. Benoit photo, courtesy of Del Mar Turf Club Nov. 21 (UPI) -- One of the more interesting subplots of late-year racing is the emergence of late-blooming 2-year-olds and Del Mar's weekend program featured two of those -- Havnameltdown among the colts and Justique in the filly…

Further easing in the local COVID restrictions meant that the biggest crowd since January-better than 13000 racegoers-took in Sunday's BOCHK Jockey Club meeting at Sha Tin in person and were they ever rewarded. Making their seasonal debuts and having a single prep towards next month's Longines Hong Kong International Races, both two-time defending…

This year's LONGINES IJC will also be the first time that the two leading female jockeys in the world ride on the same card - Australia's Jamie Kah who makes her debut, while Hollie Doyle returns for a third time. Kah, 26, is the most successful female jockey in Australian racing history with eight Group 1 wins and over 1100 wins overall. In…

Lucky Eight's raw ability was there for all to see at Sha Tin on Sunday and Ricky Yiu Poon-fai wasn't tempering his opinion of the three-year-old, comparing him to Group One winner Amber Sky. Lucky Eight cruised to victory on debut in the first section of the Class Four Spessartine Garnet Handicap (1200m), travelling just off the pace under Karis…

Just Cindy wins the Schuylerville Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on Thursday's opening day at Saratoga. Photo by Chelsea Durand, Cognianese Photos, courtesy of New York Racing Association July 15 (UPI) -- Saratoga is back into action this weekend, with trainer Chad Brown ready to make a statement on the turf course and the usual top-self competition…

The money came for Dragon's Luck in a big way and Lyle Hewitson left absolutely nothing to chance at Sha Tin on Saturday, ensuring the easiest of watches for punters who piled into the Douglas Whyte-trained debutant. Considered a $14 chance half an hour out from the race, Dragon's Luck was hammered from $10 into $4.35 in the final few minutes of…

Like two ageing boxers coming out for one final punishing round, Zac Purton and Joao Moreira will slug it out try and secure a fifth HK jockeys' championship at Sha Tin on Saturday. Moreira says he is "extremely tired, destroyed, in broken pieces," while Purton is also desperate for a break and hinting that he may consider his future if his body…

Hong Kong racing is back Friday night at 12:00 a.m. midnight EDT in North America. Free PPs are available at Horse Racing Nation. Hong Kong Jockey Club website.

July 8 (UPI) -- Three-year-olds from Ireland, England and France will see what they can do with American rivals this weekend at Belmont Park in the $1 million Caesar's Belmont Derby and $750000 Belmont Oaks. The weekend also includes the Indiana Derby, Iowa Derby and Los Alamitos Derby in California, where trainer Bob Baffert returns from…

HORSE racing fans in the UK may be starved of any local action for the foreseeable future, but they still have an opportunity to watch Hong Kong's local flagship event of the racing calendar, the £2million Hong Kong Derby (8.35am) at Sha Tin on Sunday morning. Favourites have had a good record in the 10-furlong contest in recent years, with 11…

A is for A Shin Hikari, current Hong Kong Cup track record holder with a winning time of 2.00.60. B is for betting pools. The Hong Kong Jockey Club runs the region's racing and football pools, alongside the Mark Six Lottery. In 2017-18 horseracing contributed HK$122.8 billion (£12.3bn) in turnover. Unclaimed winnings of HK$60m (£6m) were returned…

Messier wins Sunday's Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar for trainer Bob Baffert. Benoit photo, courtesy of Del Mar Turf Club Nov. 15, 2021 Trainer Bob Baffert saddled the winners of both 2-year-old races at Del Mar, Bell's the One was a popular winner at Churchill Downs, while Mandate scored a big upset at Aqueduct in highlights of weekend horse…

Beauty Generation, shown during morning track work Thursday, is one of many headliners on the Champions Day program Sunday at Hong Kong's Sha Tin Racecourse. Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Jockey Club April 24 (UPI) -- With much of the world's horse racing still out of action because of the coronavirus, Hong Kong steps up this weekend with a trio of…

It's all over for another year - but what did we learn from this year's Longines Hong Kong International Races? We learned that Golden Sixty remains among the most destructive finishers on the planet and it will be fascinating to see whether he ends the year rated upsides Baaeed and Palace Pier as world's best miler. The Sprint pile-up showed that…

Ce Ce, shown winning the Azeri Stakes on March 12 at Oaklawn Park, is among the favorites for Saturday's Grade I Apple Blossom over the same track. Coady photography, courtesy of Oaklawn Park April 22 (UPI) -- As spring blossoms, horse racing stars including Letruska, Ce Ce, Pizza Bianca, Malathat and Channel Maker return from winter vacations this…

RACING fans will be treated to the sight of former Champion Jockey Zac Purton back in the saddle when racing resumes with a nine-race programme at Happy Valley today. The 39-year-old suffered a horrific fall in the Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin a month ago, fracturing his ribs, ankle, wrist, toes and breaking his nose. How on earth he can be back…

Zac Purton is already away and clear atop the HK jockeys' table but it would take a brave punter to take a heavy position on this year's trainers' championship. Tony Cruz leads on twelve winners after Street Scream completed a hat-trick at Happy Valley on Sunday but current champ Frankie Lor is only one behind after a double and Francis Lui, John…

Durston is the third favourite for the Melbourne Cup. Picture: Brett Holburt-Racing Photos via Getty Images Hall Of Famer Damien Oliver will get the chance to chase a fourth Melbourne Cup after winning the race to pilot Caulfield Cup hero Durston on the first Tuesday in November at Flemington. Trainer Chris Waller confirmed Oliver has been locked…

The action is starting to heat up on the track and the action off the track is just as interesting! As we build towards the Caulfield Cup and The Everest on Saturday, we take a look at the week that was. This includes Hong Kong-based Zac Purton taking aim at James McDonald and his bank account, a managing owner with a live chance in the Coolmore…

Cave Rock wins the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita, on to the Breeders' Cup. Benoit Photo, courtesy of Santa Anita The final weekend of prep races for the Breeders' Cup World Championships produced some impressive efforts and identified some likely favorites for the big weekend just a month down the road. War Like Goddess earned a spot against…