How Zac Purton is making the most of Ka Ying Rising's excellence

Superstar jockey Zac Purton added another two Group 1 victories to his resume on Sunday night at Sha Tin.

One of those Group 1 triumphs was aboard the world’s best sprinter Ka Ying Rising, easily winning by 3.8 lengths in the Hong Kong Sprint (1200m).

Despite being the five-year-old’s regular jockey, after passing the finishing post Purton didn’t celebrate and remained humble in victory.

Trainer Wayne Hawkes noticed this and asked the jockey if he didn’t celebrate because he felt immense relief by winning on the sprinter or if he was just ecstatic inside.

“To answer your question, it's a little bit of both,” Purton said on SENTrack & RSN’s Giddy Up.

“But with this horse what I'm telling myself now every time I'm on him, even if it's at track work, even if it's a barrier trial, it's just to enjoy every moment I get to sit on his back.

“Because I know it's not going to last forever, and I know another horse like this is never going to come along.

“He's in elite company, he's very rare, he's a pleasure to do anything with, he's a lovely horse to sit on the back of.

“So now I'm just trying to enjoy it as much as I can.

“Even in the parade ring, walking around, behind the gates - it's more of about enjoying the moment.

“It's not so much the relief of it because I have got so much confidence in him, and I just believe that he's going to go out and do it, especially here on his home track against the horses that we're racing against.

“But it's more just trying to enjoy the moment as much as I can.

“I wouldn't say it's a sense of relief which it is to a certain degree because obviously we want him to keep winning, and we want him to keep putting up performances like he is, but I'm just trying to enjoy it.”

It’s clear that Zac Purton just wants to enjoy his time around the world’s best sprinter and doesn’t want to take these special moments for granted.