Current HK Wins Record: 1,813
REACHING THE 1,814 WIN-MILESTONE
Australian jockey Zac Purton is fast closing in on the record for the most winners in Hong Kong racing history. The 41-year-old is on a relentless charge towards the long-standing mark of 1,813 wins set by legendary South African hoop Douglas Whyte, who retired from riding in 2019 and is now a leading trainer in the jurisdiction.
Hailing from Lismore in Australia, Purton's journey to becoming one of the world's top jockeys began in his native Australia, where he quickly established himself as a rising star. He won the Brisbane Jockeys' Premiership as an apprentice in 2003 before moving to Sydney, further solidifying his reputation as a top-tier jockey.
In 2007, he made the bold decision to relocate to Hong Kong. His arrival marked the beginning of a new era in the city's racing scene.
Purton’s exceptional skill, unwavering dedication to this craft, and outstanding technique have propelled him to the forefront of global racing, and he is now on the verge of making racing history.
Purton sat just 73 wins behind Whyte’s tally at the start of the 2024/25 season and hasn’t dipped below 100 winners in a season since 2016/17. With each victory, he inches closer to rewriting the record books and solidifying his legacy as one of the greatest jockeys of all time.
10/10/2024 08/09/2024 06/09/2024 14/07/2024 08/06/2024 07/06/2024LATEST NEWS
Zac Purton chases fifth G2 Sha Tin Trophy on Beauty Eternal
Bidding for a record-extending fifth win in the HK$5.35 million G2 Sha Tin Trophy Handicap (1600m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (13 October), Zac Purton hopes Beauty Eternal’s class will prove decisive against quality opposition headed by fellow Group 1 winner Voyage Bubble and Galaxy Patch.
Ka Ying Rising sets HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup history
Purton, who finished the meeting with a quartet, said Ka Ying Rising effectively won the race with a blistering start.
Zac Purton wary of Ka Ying Rising weight challenge in season-opening feature
Preparing to resume a relentless chase of Douglas Whyte’s all-time Hong Kong record for the most wins by a jockey, Zac Purton acknowledges the daunting historical challenge facing Ka Ying Rising in the HK$3.72 million Class 1 HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (8 September).
Francis Lui crowns excellent season with Hong Kong trainers’ championship victory as Purton slots six-timer
Purton was acclaimed as Hong Kong Champion Jockey for the seventh time, matching the feats of Basil Marcus and Gary Moore, after finishing the season with 130 wins and a six-timer at the season finale.
Purton slots three-timer as Copartner Prance makes it five in a row
Zac Purton’s relentless push towards a seventh Hong Kong jockeys’ championship continued at Sha Tin on Saturday (8 June) when the Australian snared a treble highlighted by a fifth successive victory on Copartner Prance in the Class 2 Lung Mun Road Handicap (1200m).
Purton upbeat about Copartner Prance as Ng, Lui vie for trainers’ title
Marching relentlessly towards a seventh Hong Kong jockeys’ championship, Zac Purton hopes Copartner Prance can enhance an impressive season with a fifth consecutive victory when Francis Lui’s sprinter tackles the Class 2 Lung Mun Road Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin on Saturday (8 June).
I love racing, and I’ve spent a career turning up in every minute, of every day, to create record breaking habits and etch myself into history.- Zac Purton
PURTON’S MILESTONE WINS
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09/2007
The 1st WIN
Purton nabbed his first winner in Hong Kong after romping home on Ricky Yiu’s Elfhelm. A barnstorming finish in a Class 3 contest at Happy Valley Racecourse back in September 2007 was where it all began for the Australian.
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03/2015
500th WIN
Purton’s 500th win in Hong Kong came at an All-Weather fixture aboard David Hall’s Yee Cheong Star in March 2015. He rode a treble that night, which included setting a course record aboard dirt star Gun Pit.
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08/06/2019
1,000th WIN
Purton reached a major milestone at Sha Tin Racecourse in June 2019, when he became only the second rider in Hong Kong history to reach the 1,000 wins mark when Thanks Forever breezed to an easy success in a Class 3 dash.
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24/12/2022
1,500th WIN
Purton reached 1,500 wins on the All-Weather Track at Sha Tin Racecourse in December 2022 with victory aboard Benno Yung’s Handsome Twelve. Fifteen years after riding his first Hong Kong winner, the Australian claimed a searing victory aboard the short-priced favourite.
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10/04/2024
1,700th WIN
Purton’s relentless pursuit of the Hong Kong win record breached another important mark at a Happy Valley night race meeting in April 2024 when the Australian slotted a treble to become only the second jockey to ride 1,700 winners or more in Hong Kong.
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Coming Soon
1,814th WIN
With 1,740 Hong Kong wins at the beginning of the 2024/2025 season, Purton required 74 victories to surpass Douglas Whyte’s towering mark of 1,813 winners.
