Lyle Hewitson and Doug Whyte celebrate (Pic – HKJC)
In a season finale soaked with drama and history, Zac Purton, Frankie Lor and Matthew Chadwick have taken the top individual honours as the 2021/2022 Hong Kong racing season ended in spectacular fashion at Sha Tin on Saturday.
And it was a great day for a trio of South Africans who have made us proud through another testing season.
Lyle Hewitson and Douglas Whyte combined successfully for the 20th time this season when HK Dragon landed the Class 4 Big Profit Handicap (1400m).
Lyle Hewitson – riding at the top of his game (Pic- Chase Liebenberg)
“He came from behind and he upended them, so it was a good effort,” Whyte said after posting his 45th winner of the term.
Luke Ferraris ended the campaign in style with his first Hong Kong double, prevailing for David Hall aboard Melbourne Hall in the Class 5 Mr Award Handicap (1200m) before securing a brace with Singapore Spirit for Tony Cruz in the Class 4 Medic Kingdom Handicap (1400m).
“It taken me some time to ride my first double, but better later than never,” Ferraris, 20, said. “I’m grateful for the support, especially from Mr Cruz. He’s been instrumental in my career in Hong Kong so far.” Hall finished the season with 32 wins.
Luke Ferraris – rode his first Hong Kong double on the last day of the season (Pic – HKJC)
With a fifth jockeys’ championship, Zac Purton closed a turbulent season triumphantly with a quartet, having missed eight meetings after a fall in mid-December and then erasing an 18-win deficit to arch-rival Joao Moreira to ultimately prevail 136-132.
Locked on 132 wins with Moreira heading into the 88th and final meeting of the season, Purton held the narrowest of advantages because the Brazilian’s tally contained two dead-heats compared to the Australian’s one dead-heat.
Fittingly, and linking each of Hong Kong’s three most recent champion jockeys, Purton put the championship beyond Moreira’s reach by sealing a treble aboard Turin Redsun in the Class 1 Hong Kong Racehorse Owners Association Trophy Handicap (1600m) for 13-time champion jockey Douglas Whyte – defeating Moreira’s Money Catcher by a short head.
In a tussle across a season featuring six lead changes between two jockeys who have dominated Hong Kong racing for nine successive seasons, it was appropriate that the feature race of the day would ultimately decide the championship in a photo-finish.
The significance of Whyte’s role was not lost on Purton, who previously snared championship honours in 2013/14, 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20, having ended Whyte’s imperious reign with his first title nine seasons ago.
“I said a couple of weeks ago how ironic it would be if I was to win on this horse of Douglas’ (Turin Redsun) and to seal the championship after everything I had been through with Douglas – it’s much nicer being his friend than his foe,” Purton said.
Dougie Whyte – top jockey now an emerging trainer talent (Pic – HKJC)
“Every title is special in their own way. I want to pay respect to Joao as well. It’s been a really difficult season and a difficult last three years for all of us here in Hong Kong through all of the COVID lockdowns, having to home-school the kids. We’ve both had our health issues, it’s been really tough.
“We both deserved to win it. It’s really tough, only one person can (win). I think we both deserve it. It’s energy-sapping. We’re both right at the end of our tethers, so it’s nice that we can close it today and both go on holiday and come back and do it again next season.”
