Hong Kong: Size wins 11th training title; Purton wins riding title

John Size clinched his 11th training title with two wins on Sunday’s 11-race program at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong, the final day of that circuit’s 2018-19 season.

Size ended the season with 78 wins and won the training title for the third consecutive year. Size, 65, finished three wins clear of 69-year-old John Moore, who has won seven training titles and is the all-time leader in Hong Kong with 1,678 wins.

The rivalry will last at least one more year. Moore, whose stable had one win Sunday, was told by Hong Kong officials this month that his trainer’s license will not be renewed after the 2019-20 season, when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70.

Jockey Zac Purton was the clear leading rider for the season with 168 wins, missing the single-season record of 170 wins set by Joao Moreira in 2016-17. Purton’s season was highlighted by a record seven wins in Group 1 races.

Hong Kong splits its racing dates between Sha Tin and Happy Valley racecourses. For the season, which began in September, handle reached approximately $15.95 billion, a gain of 0.4 percent over the 2017-18 season, according to a statement from the Hong Kong Jockey Club released Sunday.

The handle was boosted by first-time comingling from other countries. Handle from Hong Kong customers fell 1.6 percent compared to the preceding season, according to a statement.

The circuit experienced a drop in handle through the spring, according to published reports, but had record closing-day handle of $251.2 million.