Hong Kong: Purton's injuries open race for leading rider

Hong Kong takes jockey championships seriously, and the race for leading rider during the 2021-22 Hong Kong season changed dramatically when Zac Purton was injured Sunday at Sha Tin.

Purton was part of the terrible accident in the Hong Kong Sprint that sent three jockeys to the hospital and tragically led to the deaths of two horses. Purton’s mount, Lucky Patch, was in the middle of the wreck yet somehow was able to stay on his feet, and on Monday, trainer Francis Lui reported Lucky Patch was bruised and sore but otherwise uninjured, a bright spot in a dark situation.

Other good news: Jockey Lyle Hewitson, aboard Amazing Star, was released from the intensive-care unit and was feeling well enough to speak to overseas media. Hewitson has a fractured hip that won’t require surgery and other various injuries that could have been far worse, given the brutal circumstances of his fall.

Purton wasn’t as fortunate as his mount. He sustained four broken ribs and a broken nose, all of which were diagnosed Sunday, and on Monday, following radiographs, found out he’d also fractured his wrist. No one has mentioned a timetable for his return, but it will not be especially soon, and the 10-winner lead, 49-39, that Purton holds over Joao Moreira likely will have vanished by the time he comes back.

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The first Purton-less Hong Kong racing program comes Wednesday at Happy Valley, where Moreira has rides in all eight races. There’s no standalone feature on this program, a trio of Class 3 handicaps over different distances are the highest-class fare on the menu: Race 4 is carded over 1,000 meters, race 7 at 1,650 meters, and race 8 at 1,200 meters.

Moreira’s mounts in the Class 3s all come for John Size, himself just below the top of the Hong Kong trainer standings, his 22 wins so far this season fewer only than the 27 put up by former Size assistant Frankie Lor.

In race 3, Size tries Special M over 1,000 meters, cutting the gelding back from 1,200-meter races in an effort to generate a spark from this French import. Two for two before coming to Hong Kong, Special M, known as Specialmente in France, has failed to finish better than fourth in seven local starts.

Special M might have some improvement in him Wednesday, but Moreira’s rides for Size in races 7 and 8 look better, at least superficially. In race 7, Moreira rides Incanto Prepared, weighted at a manageable 121 pounds off a Hong Kong rating of 68. Incanto Prepared has performed modestly in three runs so far this season, but Size’s horses often improve with racing and Incanto Prepared demonstrated through multiple performances last season that he fits a Happy Valley Class 3 at this 1,650-meter trip. Incanto Prepared broke from post 11 in his most recent race, a difficult post with such a short run to the first of two turns, and he drew much better in post 3 on Wednesday.

Another entrant, Cheerful Days, comes into this start on a three-race winning streak, the last two of those at this class level and distance, but he drew post 11 and is burdened with 132 pounds.

A Smile Like Yours carries the Moreira-Size banner in the nightcap and already has won three times during a busy seven-race campaign. Out of Class 4 for the first time in his career, A Smile Like Yours carries 120 pounds, getting 10 pounds from the highest-rated runners, and he also has a good draw in post 6. His race, however, looks fiercely competitive with three others among the 12-horse field also coming off wins.

First post is 6:15 a.m. Eastern with live video and wagering available at DRFBets.com.