Zac Purton

by Richard Edmunds, courtesy TDNAusNZ Two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock {Aus}) and his long-time companion Zac Purton regained their rightful place with their eighth Group 1 victory in Sunday's Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup at Sha Tin, his third consecutive victory in the 1400-metre event. From relatively humble beginnings as an NZ$60,000 purchase at the 2014 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka, Beauty Generation first rose to prominence as a quality 3-year-old who placed in the G1 Rosehill Guineas and G2...

Champion Hong Kong stayer Exultant (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) can earn a long-awaited trip overseas with a strong performance in Sunday's G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin Racecourse, with the US$6-million G1 Dubai Sheema Classic (2410m) on the horizon. Winner of the 2018 G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m), the horse formerly trained by Mick Halford as Irishcorrespondent landed this event, but focused on a domestic campaign that saw him close the season victoriously in the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m). Third from a...

For as dominant an animal as he was over the course of 18 months from April 2018 through October 2019, Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock {Aus}) has come back to the pack over his last three appearances and he faces something of a reckoning when he heads to the post in defence of his title in Sunday's G1 Stewards' Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse. A win--or even a race that remotely approximates his prior form--and it could be on to sexier ports of call. A fourth straight defeat would...