Glory awaits Shum and Purton with well-drawn Bo Bo
IT WAS good to see trainer Danny Shum and jockey Zac Purton all smiles again when they greeted one another in the winners’ circle following Victor The Winner’s success at Sha Tin last Sunday.
Once upon a time, Shum and Purton were the go-to combination to follow for racegoers in Hong Kong, with plenty of success over the years.
This season hasn’t been the same, with the reigning champion jockey only teaming up with Shum on 32 occasions, although his record when doing so still reads pretty well with five wins and 12 places along the way.
Obviously, the Zac-Man has plenty of other options nowadays, but you have a feeling someone’s nose was put out of joint earlier in the season, and the relationship is just finding its feet again.
With Shum consistently firing in winners over the past six weeks, Purton has opted to ride a couple of the stable’s gallopers, Exuberant, who drops down to his last winning rating in division two of the Mong Kok Handicap (1.45pm) over six furlongs, and notably GLORY BO BO.
This son of prolific sire Deep Field has been hindered by a series of double-figure or awkward draws in his first season of racing, but finally gets his chance to shine from the inside draw in division one of the Mong Kok Handcap (1.15pm) over six furlongs.
You can ignore his latest effort when drawn wide and impeded at the start over the five furlongs last month, but his previous form is encouraging.
He was placed behind King Eccellente over the course and distance in January, and previously chased home speedster Superb Capitalist at Sha Tin, which is form that reads well against this company, and he should be hard to beat.
POINTERS
Glory Bo Bo 1.15pm Happy Valley