Zac Purton breaks Happy Valley record

While one of racing’s great rivalries has officially been brought to an end with Joao Moreira handing in his Hong Kong riding license, Zac Purton continues to push the envelope at the top end of the game … and Wednesday night at Happy Valley saw Purton reach another significant milestone in his illustrious career.

When Purton saluted aboard Amazing Rocky in the opening race he was recording his win number 573 at the inner-city racetrack.

That number pushed Purton past former champion Douglas Whyte’s 572 wins at happy Valley.

“It feels good, of course. All it does, though, is illustrate how lucky I’ve been here in Hong Kong,” Purton told South China Morning Post in a humble fashion.

“I’ve been given a lot of opportunities. I’ve received a lot of support. Obviously, I’ve been able to make the most of that, and I’ve been able to have results, which have given me more opportunities.

“It’s very satisfying. It’s another little milestone to tick off. It’s something I’ll be proud of.”

A second winner at the meeting took Purton’s total number of winner sin Hong Kong to 1477. Whyte still leads that race with an astonishing 1,813 victories and Moreira still holds the record of most wins in a season in Hong Kong (170) … with the latter being a particular goal that Purton is targeting for this season.