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Champion jockey Zac Purton is in excellent shape leading up to the Hong Kong International Races on December 11.
On Sunday, Purton became the fastest jockey in Hong Kong history to reach 50 victories in a season. This came just a week after he broke the record for most wins by a jockey at the Happy Valley track.
At Happy Valley, he broke the record held by Doug Whyte, and in the 2015/16 season, Purton rode fifty winners, breaking Joao Moreira's record of 189 rides. Purton had already set a record for himself with 219 rides for the first fifty winners.
It appears that a wide gap has opened up in the ranks of the jockeys since Moreira stopped riding in Hong Kong.
Purton's superb form and ability to maximise his opportunities are unaffected by this.
This early in the season, it already looks like Purton will easily win his sixth Hong Kong Jockey Champion title.
Purton rode five winners on Sunday at Sha Tin, bringing his season total to 51, a 27.5% winning strike rate, and putting him at least 30 winners ahead of Vincent Ho in the jockey standings.
Hugh Bowman has wasted little time getting started on his new three-month riding contract in Hong Kong. Bowman, ever the competitor, with four wins from his first twenty-three mounts.