Zac Purton hopes Bottomuptogether can fully exploit talent with improved racing manners

By Leo Schlink

Zac Purton believes racing manners will be crucial to Bottomuptogether’s prospects in the Class 3 Yan Chai Trophy Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin tomorrow (Saturday, 28 September) when the unbeaten gelding bids to advance Four-Year-Old Classic Series credentials with a fourth successive win.

By Shamus Award, Bottomuptogether rose from 52 to 79 in the ratings after two wins over 1000m and another over 1200m near the end of last season before trainer Frankie spelled the bay ahead of an ambitious 2024/25 campaign crowned by a potential tilt at the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) on 31 January.

Purton hopes the summer break has allowed Bottomuptogether to develop physically and mentally, aware the emerging talent will carry 135lb and jump from barrier eight in the nine-horse field when resuming tomorrow.

“He’s done everything we’ve asked of him so far and he’s progressed with each run. He’s now had the chance to have a bit of a break which, physically, is going to do him the world of good – he was always a bit of a narrow-bodied and lightly-framed horse. It gave him the chance to try and have a breather and develop a little bit,” Purton said.

“His Achilles heel is that he just wants to get on with it a bit too much. He wants to run through the bridle, so he has to learn to be bit more of a racehorse if he can. It’s not going to help being drawn out where we have drawn, so he’s going to show some speed and I’m going to try and harness it as much as I can and, hopefully, he can get the job done.

“He’s obviously got the natural ability there but that takes him only so far. You need to start to do things correctly if you want to take those steps and he needs to show us he’s going to do that.

“He’s been trialling well, going good without being put under too much pressure. It will be good to have him back at the races and this is the start of his preparation this season. He’s not fully wound up but I think he’s forward enough to handle himself well enough in the race and he’s obviously going to improve.”

With Lor searching for his first win of the campaign, Purton says Bottomuptogether will need to relax more to be a Hong Kong Classic Mile contender and successfully stay 1600m.

“He’s not going to get it (1600m) if he continues to race in the manner he’s racing in,” Purton said. “He needs to relax and that’s going to be his challenge. Every horse that’s a four-year-old at the moment is heading towards the Classic Mile. That’s the reality of the place we’re in and they’re not all going to make it but they’ll all get their chance and we’ll see what’s the best one.”

Lor, Hong Kong champion trainer in 2021/22, has endured a frustrating start to the season with six minor placings from 34 starters so far and hopes Voyage Samurai can also contend strongly in the Class 3 Tsuen Lok Handicap (1600m).

“Last season, he (Voyage Samurai) had five starts for three wins and two seconds – that’s really good,” Lor said. “I have given him two trials, one in Conghua, one in Sha Tin and he trialled good.

“He’s a big horse with a big stride, so I think 1600 (metres) here and later on he can go up to 1800 (metres). He’s first up, he’s had two trials, he looks good, but we’ll have to see with the pace in the race.”

Andrea Atzeni hopes Francis Lui-trained Harold Win’s consistency will be rewarded with breakthrough success in the Class 4 Sha Tsui Handicap (1200m). The New Zealand-bred gelding has had five starts in Hong Kong for a second, two thirds and two fourths and his runner-up performance when resuming behind Super Fortune has fuelled Atzeni’s confidence.

“It was definitely a good comeback run. He ran a solid race and he has improved from it,” the Italian said. “It’s taken him a few runs to understand the game, but the more racing, the better.

Saturday’s (28 September) 10-race card starts with the Class 5 Ho Pui Handicap (1200m, dirt) at 1pm.