By Declan Schuster

Zac Purton’s storied career surpassed yet another milestone on Wednesday (22 October) at Happy Valley, as Hong Kong’s all-time leading jockey captured his 1,900th win in the city aboard Talents Supremo (126lb) in the Class 5 Success Handicap (1200m).

Just four days after landing the G1 The Everest (1200m) – the world’s richest race on turf worth AU$20 million (approx. HK$101 million) – with Hong Kong Horse of the Year (2024/25) Ka Ying Rising in Sydney, Australia at Royal Randwick, Purton, 42, was proud to reach the landmark with trainer Danny Shum.

Sha Tin Selections
(Sunday, October 26, 2025) 

Paul Lally:

R1 2-11-10-12

R2 9-11-8-5

R3 6-7-11-3

R4 7-3-5-11

R5 6-2-1-3

R6 5-2-4-9

R7 8-4-11-5

R8 5-11-9-2

R9 8-6-1-4

Best Bet R6 N5 Colourful King

Longshot R3 N6 Happy Park

Play R8 QQP 5-9-11

Tom Wood:

R1:       2-10-8-1

R2:       3-9-2-8

R3:       3-1-11-7

R4:       6-3-4-12

R5:       6-1-12-2

R6:       5-9-2-4

After describing Ka Ying Rising’s win in Saturday’s (18 October) G1 The Everest (1200m) as “the biggest moment of his career”, Zac Purton will chase another landmark on Wednesday night (22 October) as he searches for an astonishing 1,900th Hong Kong win with seven rides at Happy Valley. 

Happy Valley Selections
(Wednesday, October 22, 2025)

By Paul Ryding

My Wish underlined his mounting HK$36 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) credentials with a scintillating performance to scoop the HK$5.35 million G2 Sha Tin Trophy Handicap (1600m) on Sunday (19 October).

The five-year-old remained on course for his long-term target at the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races on 14 December as he continued his rise through the grades under trainer Mark Newnham, after scooping his second Group prize of the season.

The Japanese Oaks at 1 1/2 miles in May was too far for Embroidery, who faded to finish ninth.

The Grade 1 Shuka Sho at 1 1/4 miles on turf for 3-year-old fillies at Kyoto Racecourse on Sunday was much more to her liking.

Winning her second Grade 1 race of 2025, Embroidery ($8.70 in American pools) closed from mid-pack in a field of 18 to win by a half-length over 15-1 pacesetter Erika Express.

“I had every faith in the filly that she would deliver today since the Oaks didn’t suit her distance-wise,” winning rider Christophe Lemaire said.

The payoffs were astonishing.

On one of the biggest days of the British flat season, Cicero’s Gift ($181.20 in American pools) won Saturday’s Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes for milers at Ascot a little more than an hour after Powerful Glory ($251.40) won the Group 1 British Champions Sprint Stakes.

There were more logical payoffs on the program, too. Kalpana ($4.70) obliged as favorite in the Group 1 British Champions Filly and Mare Stakes, and Trawlerman ($3) won as expected in the Group 1 British Champions Long Distance Stakes.

There can be no doubt about it. Ka Ying Rising is the world’s finest sprinter.

Ka Ying Rising, based in Hong Kong, extended his winning streak to 14 races with a comfortable 1 1/4-length win in the world’s richest sprint – the Group 1, $13.09 million Everest Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday.