Zac Purton breaks Hong Kong winners record

Zac Purton etched his name in history as Hong Kong’s winningest jockey after guiding both Spirit Of Peace and View Of The World to victory at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.

Purton entered the meeting needing just two wins to surpass Douglas Whyte’s long-standing record of 1,813 victories, and he wasted no time. The Australian ace claimed his first win of the evening aboard the John Size-trained Spirit Of Peace in the Class 4 Kowloon Park Handicap (1200m).

The record-breaking moment came in the night’s final race when Dennis Yip Chorhong’s View Of The World fought hard to win the second division of the Class 3 Victoria Park Handicap (1200m).

Purton’s new milestone of 1,814 wins, achieved from 10,358 rides, eclipsed Whyte’s record, which had stood since his retirement in February 2019. Whyte had accumulated his 1,813 wins from 12,269 rides.

“It feels good, of course, but there’s been a big build-up to it, and I think the name of the horse probably tells the story in itself, really,” said Purton, a seven-time champion jockey in Hong Kong. He was presented with a specially designed trophy by Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges to mark the occasion.

Reflecting on Whyte’s influence, Purton added: “He (Whyte) was the one who wrote the playbook, really.

“He came to Hong Kong and changed the way jockeys operated here and the landscape and how you had to run your business, and we’ve all had to follow on from that. Without him setting the standard, things would be different.

“I actually once said to Doug, ‘don’t worry, your record is safe; I won’t be around long enough to break it.’ At that time, I thought I was going to retire or go home earlier, but I’m still here. I gave him the wrong ‘intel’ about it. We had lunch recently, and he’s alright about it.

“Records are made to be broken, and mine will be broken one day as well.”

Whyte, now a successful trainer in Hong Kong, graciously acknowledged Purton’s achievement.

“It’s been a long time coming, it was always going to happen,” Whyte said.

“He’s one of the best riders that’s been around, and he deserves it. As I’ve mentioned, he turns up day in and day out, and that’s not easy for any sportsman to do. That’s what makes champions and that’s what makes you successful.

“As I’ve stipulated, if there’s anybody better to do it, it would be Zac.”