Two of Hong Kong’s perennial champions teamed up to take the feature race on Sunday’s Sha Tin’s card when Ping Hai Galaxy landed the Class Two Lukfook Jewellery Cup (1,000m).
Trained by John Size, the grey is always easy to spot in his races and was travelling conspicuously well behind the speedy Whizz Kid for most of the straight before rider Zac Purton took an opportunity to kick clear up the rail and hold off the late challenge of stablemate Power Koepp.
Ping Hai Galaxy appears to be getting better at the age of seven, and his trainer thinks there may still be more to come.
“He’s very comfortable at high speed,” Size said. “He can gallop, and he’s got plenty of ability. He’s just a little late coming on the scene to do his best, but we thought at the start of the season he would do his best work as a seven-year-old. He’s a sprinter and there are always races for him in Hong Kong, so he’ll be fine and he’ll find another race.”
Just half an hour before winning the most valuable race on the card, Purton produced a stunning ride on the Size-trained Shining Fortune to win the Class Four Lukfook Jewellery Heirloom Future Collection Handicap (1,200m).
The Australian was penned in by a wall of horses halfway up the straight, but he remained patient and a gap came just in time for him to drive his mount past the unlucky Stand Up inside the final 100m.
The win was Shining Fortune’s first in the city at his first attempt on a dirt surface, and Size’s decision to employ cheek pieces for the first time clearly helped, but the man on board is making a difference on pretty much everything he rides right now.
“He’s going very well at the moment,” Size said of Purton.
“Admittedly, as he says himself, Joao [Moreira] is not here so that probably helps a little bit for him, but the fact still remains that he’s not making mistakes and he’s still riding very well – as good as he’s ever done – and he seems to be enjoying it at the moment.”
The 68-year-old’s double means he is in a three-way tie at the top of the trainers’ premiership with Tony Cruz and Frankie Lor Fu-chuen, but Size is targeting a 12th crown, trying to break his tie with George Moore for the most in Hong Kong racing history.
“I try to [win the title] every season,” Size said. “I’ve failed about 11 times, but I’ll keep trying.”
Purton is on course to break the record of 170 wins for a jockey in a Hong Kong season with his double for Size following up two earlier winners on the card to take him to 64 successes for the campaign.
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He wasted no time in making his presence felt when favourite Joyful Genius won the opening Class Five Lukfook Jewellery Hexicon Handicap (1,400m), and he was again successful aboard another market leader in the shape of Cheery, who was an easy winner of the Class Four Lukfook Jewellery Goldstyle Handicap (1,600m).
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