With only 50 races remaining in the 2024/25 season, Zac Purton has secured an eighth Hong Kong jockeys’ championship with a treble at Sha Tin on Saturday (28 June) to hold an unassailable 59-win lead over nearest rival Hugh Bowman.
Purton, 42, struck aboard Gentlemen Legacy, Copartner Fleet and Fashion Legend to claim a fourth successive championship. The Australian previously claimed the jockeys’ title in 2013/14, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24 and now has a record 1,866 Hong Kong wins overall.
“It’s really nice to win another one, this is my eighth. I’ve had another good season apart from having a stack (accident in February) halfway through with a few highlights with some big horses,” Purton said, referring to champion sprinter Ka Ying Rising.
“All in all, I’m very happy again.”
Purton has 126 wins for the season with Bowman next on 67, Andrea Atzeni (55) and Brenton Avdulla (45).
Purton combined with Tony Cruz’s Gentlemen Legacy (124lb) to claim a PP Bonus of HK$1.5 million with success in the Class 3 Nam Chung River Handicap (2000m) before three-year-old Copartner Fleet (129lb) saluted for Francis Lui in the first section of the Class 4 Beas River Handicap (1200m).
Purton then triumphed on David Eustace’s Fashion Legend (124lb) in the Class 4 Sha Tau Kok River Handicap (1650m, dirt). Eustace posted the 35th winner of an impressive Hong Kong debut season when Riding Together forged to victory in the Class 4 Shan Pui River Handicap (1400m) under Andrea Atzeni.