Zac Purton slots treble as Jerry Chau edges closer to LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship

By Leo Schlink

Jerry Chau’s push for LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) participation continues to muster precious momentum after last season’s leading homegrown rider partnered Do Your Part (121lb) to victory at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (4 November).

With two positions left in the LONGINES IJC at Happy Valley on 9 December, Chau consolidated his position at the top of the pecking order as a cluster of riders bids to join Ryan Moore, James McDonald, William Buick, Mickael Barzalona, Zac Purton, Saffie Osborne, Dylan Browne McMonagle, Rachel King, Christophe Lemaire and Joao Moreira in the 12-rider series.

With only six meetings left until the LONGINES IJC selection cut-off, Chau has 16 wins to be third overall in the Hong Kong jockeys’ championship behind Purton (29 wins) – who is already qualified for the LONGINES IJC as the reigning Hong Kong Champion Jockey – and Nichola Yuen (17), who is ineligible as a seven-pound claiming apprentice.

Chau, Vincent Ho (14 wins), Derek Leung (11), James Orman (10), Karis Teetan (nine) and Andrea Atzeni (nine) all remain in contention.

“Every win is very important now until the end of November and I need to take every chance and every opportunity to get winners. Vincent, Derek and Andrea are chasing so hard and it will be very close at the end of November,” Chau said after Do Your Part’s success in the Class 3 Jaffe Handicap (1650m).

“So, I will do my best and hopefully it will work out.”

Purton increased his lead to 12 wins with a treble. The nine-time Hong Kong Champion Jockey triumphed on Storming Dragon, Brownneedsfurther and California Blitz to take his Hong Kong career tally to a record-extending 2,050 wins.

Purton closed the card with success on Cody Mo’s California Blitz (120lb) in the first section of the Class 3 Causeway Bay Handicap (1200m) after the Australian had combined with Jamie Richards-trained Storming Dragon (135lb) to land the third section of the Class 4 Gloucester Handicap (1200m).

“I didn't expect to see him (Storming Dragon) in front but it was nice that he was - he let him go a bit quick and it's been a bit of a leader's track tonight. If he can take form like that into Class 3, he can win in Class 3, but let's see,” Richards said.

Purton also scored on Brownneedsfurther (135lb), who overcame a wide run to emphatically win the first section of the Class 4 Gloucester Handicap (1200m) for David Hall. Notching his third course and distance triumph in four starts, the Needs Further gelding impressed Hall.

“I think it's a pretty brave effort by the horse, actually, to carry the weight and the extra ground and at the track and distance, he's been obviously very good here and that's why we've kept it that way,” Purton said.

“I think any horse that wins with that weight and covers the extra ground, they should be able to take the progression into Class 3 and I just think it might be time now to experiment a little bit more with him, as far as whether he can run the 1650m or even try a 1400m at Sha Tin. I'd like to step him up a little bit in distance.”

Winning Diamond (119lb) overcame barrier 12 under a positive ride from Richard Kingscote to continue David Eustace’s strong season with victory in the Class 5 Cannon Handicap (1650m).

“He jumped good from the bad gate. He has shown a bit of pace before, he settled good on the girth of the leader (Lucky Blessing). He did everything well,” Kingscote said.

“It’s good to get a win for David – it’s good to get a win for anybody. Hopefully we can build on that.”

Me Tsui also extended a bright start to the campaign with the success of 46/1 chance Flying Ting Lok (120lb) in the Class 4 Ant Digital Technologies Cup Handicap (1200m) for Andrea Atzeni. The Cluster gelding edged out first-starter Packing Smart (127lb) by a short head.

Atzeni said: “He's a very straightforward horse. Obviously, we didn't have the best of draws (barrier eight), but he jumped cleanly and settled in a nice spot three-wide with cover. At one stage, he looked like he could be vulnerable, but to be fair, he stuck his head out the last 50 (metres) and on the line, I wasn't sure.”

Tony Cruz slotted a double, scoring with Comet Radiance (131lb), who edged out Always My Folks (128lb) in a desperate finish under Angus Chung in the Class 5 Cleveland Handicap (1000m), before Alexis Badel led throughout on Viva Firecracker (121lb) in a slowly-run Class 4 East Point Handicap (1650m).

“All credit goes to Alexis,” Cruz said of Badel’s ride on Viva Firecracker. “He rode a perfect race - he took his time and the time was slow, but the horse was fit tonight.”

Cruz said Comet Radiance, who broke through at this 11th start, was better suited at Happy Valley than Sha Tin.

“He seemed to like Happy Valley much more than Sha Tin. I can't get results with him at Sha Tin, so I thought I'd try Happy Valley. He won his trial here and I believed he could win tonight. We might stick to Happy Valley more often,” Cruz said.

Badel sealed a double when Caspar Fownes-trained Target Audience (134lb) claimed the second section of the Class 3 Causeway Bay Handicap (1200m).

Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Sunday (8 November) with Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse Day and the running of the HK$4.2 million G3 Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse Handicap (1800m).