Zac Purton wins HK Jockeys Challenge

Ex-pat Australian Zac Purton has won the International Jockeys Championship in Hong Kong, winning two of the four designated races at Happy Valley.

Representing Hong Kong where he has lived for the past decade and was champion jockey in 2013/14, Purton was an outsider in the competition on Wednesday night.

His two winners put him in front after the third leg with Sylvestre de Sousa, riding for the UK, his only challenger.

Neither jockey figured in the finish of the final race won by French champion Pierre-Charles Boudot who claimed third place.

“I came into tonight thinking that I had quite ordinary rides, but it turned out well, and I’m pleased to have won, as I’ve gone close a couple of times,” Purton said.

“I didn’t want it to be another deja vu. You need a lot of luck, and I got it in two races!”