| Zac Purton |
| Age: 41 |
| Background: Zac Purton ended Douglas Whyte’s 13-season dominance with his first Hong Kong jockeys’ championship in 2013/14 (112 wins) and in earning his second title in 2017/18 he halted Joao Moreira’s title streak at three. During his first championship season, the Australian ace raced to what was then the fastest 50 in Hong Kong history and became the second rider, after Whyte, to notch 100 wins in a season. Purton lost his title when second to Moreira in 2014/15 with 95 wins, a position he filled for the next two terms, including when notching his second century in 2016/17. His second championship was a remarkable effort as he chased down Moreira to take the lead for the first time that term on June 10, 2018. Five weeks later, at season’s end, he had outpointed Moreira 136-134. The Australian ace took a third consecutive championship in 2019/20 with 147 wins and three Group 1’s, his triumph aboard Exultant in the 2020 QEII Cup saw him become the only rider in history to have won every Group 1 race on the Hong Kong calendar. Purton’s championship winning streak was stopped at three in 2020/21 but he soon reclaimed the title in 2021/22. He took his fifth title after another enthralling battle with Moreira, enjoying huge success with 136 wins, including his third Stewards’ Cup triumph, this time aboard the John Size-trained Waikuku. He also sealed a third International Jockeys’ Championship title. Purton closed out a highly successful 2023/24 season, completing the campaign with 130 wins and a seventh Hong Kong Champion Jockey crown. He also reached 1,700 career wins in Hong Kong in April, 2024. Purton nailed feature wins in the Hong Kong Derby (Massive Sovereign), Hong Kong Sprint (Lucky Sweynesse) and Champions Mile (Beauty Eternal) last season. Purton started his career in Brisbane and was an apprentice sensation, winning the championship there in 2003. He then moved on to Sydney where he was twice second in the championship. Purton moved to Hong Kong in September, 2007 and he boasts a famous Royal Ascot win for Hong Kong aboard the Danny Shum-trained Little Bridge in the 2012 King’s Stand Stakes. |
| Achievements: Hong Kong Champion Jockey (2013/14, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2021/22, 2022/23 & 2023/24); Brisbane Champion Jockey (2003 – when still an apprentice); International Jockeys’ Championship winner (2017, 2020 & 2021); World Super Jockeys Series (Japan) winner (2012); Hong Kong single season prize money record (HK$277,712,060 in 2022/23); Hong Kong record for most wins in a season (179 in 2022/23). |
| Notable Wins Include: Hong Kong Derby (2015 Luger, 2024 Massive Sovereign), Hong Kong Cup (2017 Time Warp, 2020 Normcore), Hong Kong Mile (2012 Ambitious Dragon, 2016 Beauty Only, 2018 Beauty Generation, 2022 California Spangle), Hong Kong Sprint (2014 & 2016 Aerovelocity, 2023 Lucky Sweynesse), Hong Kong Vase (2013 Dominant, 2018 Exultant), QEII Cup (2020 Exultant), Champions Mile (2018 & 2019 Beauty Generation, 2024 Beauty Eternal), Champions & Chater Cup (2019 & 2020 Exultant), Chairman’s Sprint Prize (2018 Ivictory, 2023 Lucky Sweynesse), Stewards’ Cup (2010 Fellowship, 2019 Beauty Generation, 2022 Waikuku), Hong Kong Gold Cup (2013 Military Attack, 2018 Time Warp, 2019 Exultant), Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (2013 Ambitious Dragon, 2018, 2019 & 2020 Beauty Generation), Centenary Sprint Cup (2016 Aerovelocity, 2023 Lucky Sweynesse), King’s Stand Stakes (2012 Little Bridge), Takamatsunomiya Kinen (2015 Aerovelocity), KrisFlyer International Sprint (2015 Aerovelocity), Singapore Airlines International Cup (2013 Military Attack), SIN G1 Kranji Mile (2018 & 2019 Southern Legend), Caulfield Cup (2014 Admire Rakti), Doncaster Mile (2014 Sacred Falls, 2017 It’s Somewhat). |
| Hong Kong Career Wins (at start of 2024/25 season): 1,740 (win strike rate 17.3%). |
| 24/25 Season Up to Race Meeting of 20/11/2024 | |||||
| Nationality | : AUS | No. of Wins | : 40 | Total Rides | : 173 |
| Stakes won | : $53,824,725 | No. of 2nds | : 26 | Win % | : 23.12% |
| No. of Wins in past 10 race days | : 16 | No. of 3rds | : 24 | ||
| No. of 4ths | : 17 | ||||