Zac Purton is rooted in the Hong Kong racing scene but the one-time local champion jockey has forged a strong bond with Japanese racing in recent years and that connection will see the Australian ace team up with the exciting four-year-old Satono Crown in Sunday’s HK$20 million G1 Audemars Piguet QEII Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin racecourse.
Purton first grabbed the headlines across the Japan Sea with a fan-winning victory in the 2012 World Super Jockeys Series. Then came a famous overseas triumph on Japan’s Admire Rakti in Australia’s 2014 G1 Caulfield Cup, and his exploits on Hong Kong’s Champion Sprinter Aerovelocity in winning the 2015 G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo racecourse only enhanced his appeal.
Satono Crown is a horse with such as-yet-untapped talent that Purton has opted to ride the Noriyuki Hori-trained colt at the expense of a long-time partnership with one of his most trusted allies, Military Attack, a horse that carried him to G1 success in Singapore three years ago.
Purton, who also undertook a short-term riding contract in Japan last summer, a year on from his first JRA contract reaching an untimely conclusion before it had really got going, due to an old heel injury flaring up, is well-placed to weigh the merits of Japan’s star gallopers.
“They’re so good at home in Japan and we don’t see them often until they do travel, but even the Group 2 and Group 3 runners they have at home are incredibly talented horses,” he said. “They work them really hard in training, so those horses are tough. When they do travel they put the metal down and they’re very hard to beat. They have strong depth right through their ranks and you’ve always got to be on your toes when you go up against them.”
Japan has thrice raided the AP QEII Cup with success, thanks to Eishin Preston in 2002 and 2003, and Rulership in 2012. This time the Japanese assault is deemed the strongest ever for this race with champion older horse Lovely Day and classic winner Nuovo Record joining Satono Crown in the line-up. The three compatriots are riding on the wave of Japan’s stunning victories at Sha Tin back in December when Maurice carried off the G1 Hong Kong Mile and A Shin Hikari devastated a world class field with a front-running win in the G1 Hong Kong Cup. Nuovo Record was runner-up in the latter.
A win on Sunday would be a G1 breakthrough for Satono Crown, third behind his brilliant stablemate Duramente in last May’s G1 Tokyo Yushun, the Japanese Derby.
“Obviously he ran a great third in the Tokyo Derby last year,” said Purton. “He was a little disappointing in the Tenno Sho Autumn after that but he was at the end of his prep; he had a bit of a spell and came back and won first-up this year. That was on a soft track, so if it rains he’s going to handle it.”
That first-up win at Kyoto on Valentine’s Day was impressive. Satono Crown drew three lengths clear of his rivals, raising hopes that this could be his year to shine. The Marju colt is lightly-raced and has exhibited signs of adolescent playfulness at track work, throwing his head and attempting to hang towards the inside rail. Further maturity will likely bring improvement.
“He’s a lovely horse; I’ve seen him here at the track and he’s been having a bit of a play, he’s enjoying himself,” said Purton of his mount, who will break from gate eight on Sunday.
“I think the barrier is a little bit tricky. He’s a horse that has missed the start on a number of occasions – he was good out last time, so hopefully his mind’s just starting to work it all out. If he jumps well and takes a good spot I think he’s got a really good chance in the race. I want to be in the first half of the field, if I can be.”
As to principal dangers, Purton is in little doubt that Satono Crown’s biggest threat will hail from the colt’s homeland in the form of last season’s Takarazuka Kinen and Tenno Sho (Autumn) victor.
“Lovely Day is going to be the hardest horse to beat,” said Purton. “His form is very good, he’s drawn the right gate, he’s going to get the right run, he’s a phenomenal horse – he’s probably one of the better horses we’ve seen here.”
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Photo 1:
Satono Crown exercises on turf this morning under Tomohiro Takahashi.
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