Zac Purton moved to the brink of another personal milestone at Sha Tin on Sunday, with Hong Kong’s champion rider requiring just two more winners to reach 100 victories for the season, as attention also turns to his growing partnership with the progressive Aerovolanic.
Zac Purton 100 wins.
Already 49 clear of nearest rival Hugh Bowman in the jockeys’ standings, Purton appears certain to secure a ninth Hong Kong title. Yet the immediate focus is Sunday’s 11-race programme at Sha Tin Racecourse, where the Australian has seven rides and several strong chances to bring up three figures for a 10th consecutive campaign.
One of the more compelling contests on the card is the Class 3 Helping Older Adults Age Well Handicap over 1400 metres, where trainer Pierre Ng saddles Aerovolanic, who is seeking a third straight victory under top weight of 129lb.
The son of Frosted has made rapid progress in recent weeks, climbing 17 rating points in under two months after consecutive wins by two lengths. His latest success came in a career-best 1m 21.18s, reinforcing the impression that his upward trajectory may not yet have peaked.
Purton believes the four-year-old still has further improvement in him, provided he learns to settle more efficiently during the middle stages of his races.
“He still hasn’t learned how to manage himself that well,” Purton said. “He really wants to run through the bridle mid-race. If he could just learn to drop his head a little bit better, I’m sure he could go to another level again. But he’s full of confidence, so there’s a bit to like about him.”
Aerovolanic’s path has not been entirely straightforward. After winning on debut as a three-year-old, he endured a disrupted spell that included unseating James McDonald in a Class 4 race last November. Since joining forces with Purton, however, his form has taken a notable upward turn.
The champion rider is hopeful that another success could elevate the gelding into stronger company.
“Hopefully, we can get another win out of him and get him into the bottom of Class 2 with a lighter weight. I think that would help him,” he added.
Among the key rivals is Sky Jewellery, reintroduced by trainer John Size, who returns carrying 135lb after an absence of more than a year.
The Australian import had previously marked himself as a horse of considerable promise, with wins over 1200m, 1400m and 1600m as a three-year-old. His campaign was halted following a bleeding episode after a barrier trial in November 2025.
Sky Jewellery has since posted encouraging trial performances, though Size offered a measured outlook ahead of the return.
“He had a bleed, so you don’t get too excited about it,” the trainer said. “You just hope that he holds together and that he can win a couple of races. Of course, he’s a really nice horse, and if he doesn’t have those internal problems, he’d be lovely.”
Looking ahead, Purton also provided a positive update on leading sprinter Ka Ying Rising following a recent piece of work, with the star set to pursue a 20th consecutive victory in the Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize on Champions Day.
The outstanding speedster is expected to meet proven local contenders Helios Express and Fast Network, alongside international challengers Satono Reve and Native Approach. Even so, Purton suggested the champion may be approaching peak condition at the right time.
“He was good, as he always is,” Purton said. “He looks like he’s in, probably, career-best order going into his grand final this season.”
Sunday’s Sha Tin fixture begins at 12.45pm with the Class 5 Racing For Charity Handicap over 1800 metres, with Purton’s pursuit of another landmark set to be one of the central narratives of the meeting.
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