Purton to continue winning ways on class dropper at Happy Valley

Tashidelek
12.15 Happy Valley
2pts winHong Kong Win
1.15 Happy Valley
2pts winPacking Rockstar
1.45 Happy Valley
2pts winNo jockey in the world is in better form than Zac Purton right now and his rich vein of success is set to continue with Tashidelek in the opening High West Handicap (12.15) at Happy Valley.

Purton has chalked up 14 winners at the last three meetings in Hong Kong, including two six-timers at Sha Tin, and he also recently broke the prize-money record for a jockey in a single season when passing the £20million mark (HK$211.7m).

With 140 winners on the board and 11 racedays remaining, there is no stopping the razor-sharp Aussie, who rides promising stayer Tashidelek for the first time over a distance that should ideally suit the John Moore-trained four-year-old.

Although a maiden in Hong Kong after six starts, the son of Street Cry won three races in Australia for Chris Waller, the best being a staying handicap in Sydney.

He finished second over course and distance two starts ago before finding himself out of his depth in the Group 3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup. He will find this much easier.

Purton and arch rival Joao Moreira have won 25 of the last 30 races run in Hong Kong, which is an astonishing statistic, and Moreira gets an early chance aboard the John Size-trained Hong Kong Win in the Mount Gough Handicap (1.15), in which the three-year-old must overcome a wide draw.

However, with runner-up efforts over this course and distance on his last two starts, he looks well up to the task.

He meets Everbrave 4lb better for a three-quarters-of-a-length defeat, so Purton’s mount, the promising Snap Fit, may prove to be his main rival.

Barrier trial form is often a good guide, which points to Packing Rockstar having an edge over fellow debutant Reliable Team in the Mount Nicholson Handicap (1.45), the former having posted a faster time when both won trials at Happy Valley on May 10.

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