3 minute read
When Queanbeyan trainer Nick Olive heard superstar Hong Kong-based jockey Zac Purton was returning to Sydney to ride on Day 1 of The Star Championships at Randwick on Saturday, he reacted swiftly.
Olive needed a rider for his three-year-old filly Kimberley Secrets, one of the top chances in the $500,000 Newhaven Park Country Championships Final over 1400 metres, and got straight on the phone to Purton's manager.
"We were fishing around trying to get Jamie Kah, but unfortunately she got injured," Nick Olive said.
"So when we heard two weeks ago that Zac was coming I went straight to his camp and got him locked in within a couple of days, which was fantastic.
"Zac grew up in the country and his manager said he was still a country boy at heart and that this was a race he'd love to win, so hopefully he's out there doing that on Saturday."
Purton was born in Lismore and spent some of his teenage years in Coffs Harbour, where he was first attracted to racing and became indentured as an apprentice to trainer Trevor Hardy.
He soon became a star riding in Brisbane, and then Sydney, before heading to Hong Kong.
Purton made a hit-and-run visit to Sydney for the March 4 meeting and won both of the Group Ones - the Randwick Guineas on Communist and Canterbury Stakes on Artorius.
It was the offer of the ride on The Everest winner Giga Kick in the $3 million TJ Smith Stakes that initially attracted him back this time and he was swamped with offers after that. He will ride in nine of the 10 races.
Kimberley Secrets qualified for the final by winning the SERA Country Championships at Moruya on March 5 and is a $7.50 chance with TAB Fixed Odds in a wide-open betting market.
Olive said he was looking forward to the race with great optimism, knowing he was legging up Purton.
"Oh, bloody oath mate," he said.
"I reckon he'll suit the horse and obviously he's one of the best jockeys in the world. I don't think we can go wrong having Zac on board. Look what he did when he came back for the Randwick Guineas meeting.
"I won't bother him until the day. I'll have a chat to him when I drop the colours in at the jockeys' room. He's a professional, Zac, he does his work on everything so he'll have a fair idea what's going on when it comes time to hop on the horse.
"She's drawn well in seven and I think she'll be in the first six in the run. I don't think we'll be trying to lead, I just want her ridden a touch quieter.
"It's a high-pressure race with some of the well-fancied horses drawn out wide and probably having to push forward.
"I think there will be a bit of speed up front and that the pressure on the leader will be a good thing to avoid. I'm sure Zac will give her every chance."
