Hong Kong Racing Tips: Moore’s Chefano to give Purton a much needed Valley winner
YOU CAN guarantee that reigning champion jockey Zac Purton is walking around like a bear with a sore head at the moment.
The 36-year-old, who carried all before him in Hong Kong last season, is currently finding it hard to know where the next winner is coming from, with the gods of fortune having turned their backs on him.
Just three winners from his last 35 rides, with a big percentage of those being favourites, has been a poor return for his thousands of avid followers, who follow the ‘Zac-Man’ blind.
Trailing his great rival Joao Moreira by 10 wins in the jockeys’ championship will be rubbing more salt into the wounds and he will be hoping his current nightmare changes with seven rides booked at Happy Valley today.
Talking of nightmares, Purton’s best ride could be CHEFANO who linesup in the closing nine-furlong Shek Uk Shan Handicap (2.50pm).
Supporters of the John Moore-trained five-year-old must have thought they were watching a Halloween horror movie when the son of Silvano was last seen finishing fourth at Sha Tin at the beginning of the month.
On that occasion, ridden by Blake Shinn, Chefano couldn’t find daylight anywhere down the home straight despite his pilot’s best efforts.
The fact he was beaten under two lengths by the winner, in what was a highly-competitive handicap, suggests he is running here without a penalty.
Shinn has been relegated to the side lines and Purton takes over on this progressive galloper who was placed in Group 2 company in his native South Africa and is surely better than his current handicap mark.
POINTERS
Chefano 2.50pm Happy Valley