Purton set to Dazzle along with Fellow win-seeker David Hall
REIGNING champion jockey Zac Purton will arrive at Happy Valley hoping the gods of fortune will finally provide him with a long-awaited winner.
Purton is having a desperate time at present and must be wondering where his next victory will come from.
His present losing sequence stands at 27, of which 14 have been beaten favourites, and the patience of his many thousands of avid fans is certainly being tested.
The champ arrives at his favourite track with nine rides on the programme and, as always, the majority hold winning chances on the form book.
His most interesting ride is the David Hall-trained DAZZLING FELLOW in the highly competitive Shenzhen Handicap (8.40am) over nine furlongs.
Purton is down to his minimum weight to ride this son of So You Think, who looked a different horse when running away from opposition in the first race of the new Hong Kong season.
He now steps up in class, but there are reasons to believe he could still be well in front of the handicapper and there is no trainer in town who has their stable in better form than David Hall, with six wins in the past fortnight.
With the inside draw setting up him for a dream journey, expect Purton to kick for glory rounding the home turn, and then hopefully withstanding the late dash of strong-finishing Reach Goal.
The rest of the card looks a minefield for bettors, with so many open races to contend with. Maybe well-handicapped but recently disappointing HK Dragon could represent some each-way value in the Zhuhai Handicap (9.50am) over the extended mile.
Trainer Douglas Whyte has used both his two races this season to get him fully fit, and he did spread-eagle his opposition over the course and distance last season from a similar mark.
POINTERS
Dazzling Fellow 8.40am Happy Valley