Zac Purton inched closer to a historic milestone on Sunday, January 5, as Packing Angel solidified his credentials as a Four-Year-Old Classic Series hopeful. The gelding triumphed in the Class 3 Broadwood Handicap (1400m) at Sha Tin, boosting Purton’s win tally to 1,805—just eight victories shy of Douglas Whyte’s long-standing Hong Kong record of 1,813 wins.

Packing Angel, rated 63 and trained by Francis Lui, showcased his potential with a commanding performance, defeating Kaholo Angel by three-quarters of a length. Purton praised the up-and-coming prospect, saying, “He’s got a long way to go on ratings, but he’s improving all the time. It was a pretty soft win in the end. There’s more to come.”

The win marks a promising step toward the prestigious HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile on January 31, the first leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series. Subsequent races include the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) on March 2 and the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on March 23.

Francis Lui and Rivals Dominate at Sha Tin

Francis Lui, last season’s champion trainer, shared the limelight on Sunday, notching a double alongside John Size and David Hayes. Lui’s second success came courtesy of Baby Crystal, who delivered a stunning victory under French jockey Alexis Pouchin in the Class 3 Tai Tong Shan Handicap (1000m), clocking 56.32 seconds.

David Hayes also enjoyed a fruitful day, securing a brace to climb to third in the trainers’ standings. He combined with Purton for Circuit Jolly’s win in the Class 4 Tai Mong Tsai Handicap (1000m) and saw apprentice Ellis Wong pilot Ariel to victory in the Po Leung Kuk Cup Handicap (1800m).

John Size, a 12-time champion trainer, maintained his strong form with two winners. Raging Blizzard impressed in the Class 2 Tai Tong Handicap (1200m), storming home under Hugh Bowman to claim his second consecutive victory. Country Dancer followed up with a gritty performance in the Class 5 Tsam Chuk Wan Handicap (1200m), guided by Karis Teetan.

Sword Point Eyes International Spotlight

Frankie Lor’s Sword Point added intrigue to the day, surviving an objection to win the Class 2 Pak Tam Chung Handicap (1650m) on dirt. With an unbeaten dirt record, the 105-rated gelding is now a contender for an international campaign, with Lor eyeing the G2 Godolphin Mile at Meydan in April.

Other Highlights

Dylan Mo ended a drought with a textbook ride aboard Super Legends for Danny Shum in the Class 3 Leighton Handicap (1200m).

Another World, trained by Benno Yung, overcame a challenging run to claim the Class 4 Caroline Hill Handicap (1400m) under Lyle Hewitson.

Hong Lok Golf continued to impress for trainer Chris So, capturing the Class 4 Tai Lam Handicap (1200m) despite a wide trip under Harry Bentley.

As the season progresses, all eyes remain on Zac Purton’s quest to become Hong Kong’s all-time leading jockey. Racing resumes at Happy Valley on Wednesday, January 8, with the feature HK$4.2 million G3 January Cup Handicap (1800m).