He became the most successful jockey in Happy Valley history earlier this season and on Wednesday night, Zac Purton broke more new ground by ringing up his 600th win at the city circuit.
Purton sailed past Douglas Whyte’s previous mark of 572 in November and became the first to 600 thanks to the success of Jamie Richards-trained $1.6 favourite Romantic Laos in the second section of the Class Four Tathong Channel Handicap (1,650m).
“It’s not a bad number. I need a few more. Just turn up every week, try and win as many as I can, see where I end up,” Purton said.
“It’s a nice number – they’re all milestones, they’re all good marks. But there’s still plenty of work to do.”
The “work” Purton mentions refers mainly to his pursuit of Joao Moreira’s single-season record of 170 wins.
He had to settle for just the one midweek success, moving to 135 victories for the campaign, and he continues to bubble along just below the asking rate with 17 meetings remaining.
Harry Bentley also celebrated a milestone on Wednesday night, landing his 50th Hong Kong winner a touch over two years after his first by taking out the Class Five Waterfall Bay Handicap (1,200m) aboard Jimmy Ting Koon-ho’s Alloy King.
Luke Ferraris took the riding honours with the only double on the night, notching his third win of the season aboard the Pierre Ng Pang-chi-trained Super Commander in the Class Four Sha Wan Handicap (1,000m) before completing a running double with One For All.
Richard Gibson’s One For All continued his strong form with his third win on the bounce in the second section of the Class Four Siu Sai Wan Handicap (1,200m), benefiting from a perfect front-running Ferraris ride from the outside gate on a track that favoured those on the speed.
“I said when he won last time that he still had some improvement in him. I bought him as a yearling in Australia. I was very disappointed with his first season, but he’s got some quality,” Gibson said after his 100th Happy Valley win.
“He’s really matured well and I think there’s some more left in the tank. It’s tough to win drawn 12 at Happy Valley, so full credit to Luke and the horse.”
Luke Currie got in on the act with his ninth win of the campaign, also saluting from the front with his success aboard The Hulk for Caspar Fownes in the first section of the Tathong Channel Handicap.
“Caspar was happy to lead or be right on the pace and the way it’s been racing tonight, it was the place to be,” Currie said.
“It’s good to get another win and I want to get more before the end of the season. I’ve got the ball rolling a little bit and hopefully I can continue through to the end of the season.”
The night’s Class Two contest went to Frankie Lor Fu-chuen’s outsider Eason, with the $17 chance taking advantage of a strong speed to storm home from near the back of the field under Alexis Badel.
“I felt they went quite quick and the horse was at the back as he is usually is, but he was actually travelling quite well. At the turn, when I started to squeeze him a bit more, he had something to offer,” Badel said. “He responded very well, but I wasn’t sure I could win the race from that position. It was a good win.”
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