Zac Purton capped another dominant campaign with a super six-timer at Sha Tin on Sunday just hours after the champion jockey survived a contentious stewards’ inquiry.
Being cleared of any wrongdoing for his ride aboard Nebraskan at Happy Valley on Wednesday proved the perfect catalyst for Purton, who signed off for the season with his best haul since January.
“It’s been a good day,” Purton said. “I had some nice rides but a few tricky gates, so I needed things to go my way.
“The horses turned up and ran well, even the ones that got beat weren’t far away. It’s a nice way to finish the season.”
![Packing Hermod bolts up under Zac Purton on Sunday to keep his perfect record intact. Packing Hermod bolts up under Zac Purton on Sunday to keep his perfect record intact.](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/07/14/085cc7e7-ccc9-48ea-9c88-5aef2136bad1_e38b721b.jpg)
Purton got off the mark for the afternoon with a pinpoint accurate ride aboard Perfect Peach before steering home the Pierre Ng Pang-chi-trained First Love.
He comfortably obliged on Francis Lui Kin-wai’s well-fancied trio – Steps Ahead, Chancheng Glory and Packing Hermod – and sealed his six-timer aboard the Jamie Richards-trained Young Achiever.
While Purton said he was delighted to play a pivotal role in Lui’s thrilling trainers’ championship win, the Australian ace admitted he was much more comfortable observing the battle from the outside.
“I’ve been in that position a number of times myself and it’s not an easy position to be in heading to the final meeting,” Purton said.
“Both of them threw everything at it, it was a great battle all day and that’s what you like to see. It’s hard when you’re in that battle, but it’s great when you’re watching it.”
![Zac Purton (second from left) celebrates his seventh jockeys’ championship win. Zac Purton (second from left) celebrates his seventh jockeys’ championship win.](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/07/14/e86a267d-18d4-49dd-aab2-f060c3a4c29a_6c6ae034.jpg)
Purton had plenty of reasons to be cheerful before he was crowned champion jockey for the seventh time on Sunday, as he survived a lengthy stewards’ inquiry into his ride aboard the John Size-trained Nebraskan at Happy Valley.
After drawn out questioning on Wednesday evening was adjourned until Sunday afternoon, chief steward Marc van Gestel said he was satisfied Purton did not breach any rules of racing.
“He was obviously adamant that the reason he rode the horse in that manner was because of the horse’s racing manners and he was very keen to express that view to us,” Van Gestel said. “We were concerned [on Wednesday] in terms of the ride and we’ve explained that to him.
“It was a spirited inquiry. Zac was keen to express his views and we have an obligation to ask questions. Sometimes as stewards they are hard questions that might be confrontational from time to time, but that’s the nature of the role.”