After a four-year hiatus, the prestigious Hong Kong racing awards are back to honour some of the more unique moments from a thrilling 2023-24 season. Without further adieu, the winners are: En route to collecting his seventh jockeys’ championship, the 41-year-old treated us to a steer for the ages aboard Dennis Yip Chor-hong’s four-year-old in the Hong Kong Derby (2,000m). Stranded at the rear of the field in the early stages after a string of near misses in the city’s most prestigious race, Purton produced Massive Sovereign to pinpoint perfection to nail Andrea Atzeni and Ka Ying Generation on the line.
It seemed an impossible task to reel in the tearaway leader turning for home, but Purton wove his magic on the grandest stage of all to surge to the front inside the final 50m. EPIC! 🤯🤯🤯 Massive Sovereign lands a thrilling 147th Hong Kong Derby at Sha Tin for and Dennis Yip! | | As well as an epic finish, we were also treated to a rare show of emotion from the Australian as he stood upright in the stirrups, one arm punching the air. Honourable mention: Keith Yeung Ming-lun – Fallon: Forced to negotiate gate 14, Yeung waited at the rear of the field on Tony Cruz’s four-year-old before flying home down the centre of the track to spring a shock aboard the $69 chance in December.
The pair produced a great battle on New Year’s Day but it was their second meeting on January 21 which collects the award. With global powerhouses James McDonald (Wunderbar) and Purt.
