Purton closes in on Moreira with Sha Tin four-timer
The battle for Hong Kong riding supremacy is certainly keeping racegoers entertained and excited.
It's a battle between the reigning champion, Zac Purton, and the former champion, Joao Moreira.
The latter has seen his lead cut down to only four winners, following Purton's four-timer at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Moreira managed to steer home a winner that afternoon, to keep the scoresheet at 87-83. Jockey Karis Teetan is a distant third, at 49 winners.
"It's just a matter of turning up every meeting, trying to ride winners and, if we can make a race of it, we will," said Purton.
The Australian capped his afternoon's tally with a comfortable win on the smart four-year-old Mighty Giant in the Class 3 Sheung Hei Handicap over 1,400m in the last of 10 events.
Earlier, he had scored on Beluga in Race 2, Good View Clarico in Race 3 and Transcendent in Race 9.
Moreira was successful in Race 4 on Juneau Park.
The Ricky Yiu-trained Mighty Giant took his record to three wins from six runs.
"He's not a sit-and-sprint horse, he's very big and he's got a lovely long action, so I just got him into a rhythm and kept him happy," said Purton. "Last time I rode him, they went really fast and he kept galloping, so it's not about trying to outsprint them, it's about having him happy." - HKJC
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