Maturity and time always bring about a certain self-belief that everything is possible. It allows one to pick and choose what’s best for you and those in that inner circle.
It’s something that’s not gone unnoticed in what could be described as “the evolution of Zac Purton”.
From speaking to those who knew him when an apprentice in Brisbane and Sydney, the talent was always there, but it needed to be harnessed.
As someone put it, “He was a real ratbag. Zero discipline. We knew he could be anything, but had no idea where he would end up. It concerned us, but not him. Guess he somehow knew things would work out”.
Through some divine intervention, he ended up in Hong Kong in 2007. The decision to move to the city was a Eureka moment and turned out to be a life changing experience for the young gun who never finished his schooling.
Suddenly, he was thrown into the deep end of a very large global talent pool and told to sink or swim while often swimming with highly experienced sharks.
This was how Hong Kong moved in those halcyon days- rich, sophisticated, adventurous, pretentious, yes, with a refined decadence, very image conscious and having the best racing jurisdiction in the world.
Without sounding like Jay-Z and Alicia Keys singing “Empire State Of Mind”, if one made it in any industry in Hong Kong, there was always the opportunity to move on up the food chain. But like cramming for a big exam, one had to learn fast and be quick on the draw to seize the moment. There were many of those moments to seize.
Soon, Zac Purton was riding against some of the world’s best riders- Soumillon, Mosse, and then-Champion Jockey of Hong Kong- South African Douglas Whyte.
He might not admit it, but there’s the feeling that Zac not only respected Douglas Whyte for everything he had achieved by that time, he was also constantly learning from him about how to go about manoeuvring himself into winning positions of power.
Douglas Whyte was the best at getting what he wanted, something often seen when meeting up for a glass of wine at the Four Seasons Blue Bar.
When seeing an owner from the corner of his eye who had a horse he wanted to ride, he excused himself and headed off in this person’s direction.
Less than five minutes later, he would return, pleased that he had got the ride.
It would be fair to say that Zac’s end game was to be where the Durban Demon was- which was right at the top of the mountain- and to then top even that.
Today, as The Zac Attack, he is at the top of the mountain and at the top of his game after stopping the thirteen year reign of Douglas Whyte as Champion Hong Kong Jockey during the 2013-14 season.
That was a very strange year with allegiances being switched, various games being played out in the racing media and on Twitter and Zac seeing his star ascending.
Watching Zac being interviewed by CNN about winning the championship title and loving all the attention he was getting before a night meeting at Happy Valley while standing next to Douglas, who could only glare in his direction, was a moment I will never forget. The baton had been passed.
Did the new champion make politically incorrect mistakes in the way he conducted himself during those days and where he might have been too forthcoming with some of his comments?
Gawd yes, like winning his first Hong Kong championship title and then blurting out when being interviewed for a Hong Kong Jockey Club programme that the highlight of his year was winning The Doncaster Mile aboard Sacred Falls.
This was not going according to script no matter how honest the answer might have been.
Being champion was a steep learning curve, and whether on Twitter or in interviews, he was always good for a quote. He was still very much a diamond in the rough needing a Professor Higgins.
He might have annoyed some with what he had to say, but when being brutally honest, it doesn’t necessarily please everyone. It shows people that you actually have an opinion and aren’t scared to express yourself.
If, with his blond hair, Shane Dye was “Billy Idol”, Zac Purton was maybe John McEnroe or Bruce Lee- cocky, brimming with self confidence and ready to take on all comers.
Then in October of 2013 came Joao- Joao Moreira- and a new competition began. It’s still going on.
After coming second to Zac when first riding in Hong Kong for part of a season, Joao bedazzled Hong Kong racing fans and the world with his brilliance by winning the jockey championship title for the next three consecutive years. Zac reclaimed the title the next year, Joao the next and the ping pong match continues.
With very different personalities, theirs is a strange relationship- at least from the outside looking in.
Are they friendly rivals or bitter enemies? Or are they playing character roles for an audience?
This adds to the intrigue. It’s given Hong Kong racing an extra edge.
It’s also kinda weirdly surreal and is its own unreal reality series, especially with Douglas Whyte still around and now a successful Trainer.
Every race meeting, there has been The Zac And Joao Show- competive, yes, but also entertaining and great theatre.
Those memorable Happy Wednesday nights had just begun and the on-course competition between the Brazilian Magic Man and the Australian Zac Attack added much fire and ice to those brilliant nights at Happy Valley Racecourse.
At Shatin last Sunday, Zac rode four winners to Joao’s one.
Being in Singapore and no racing shown on television, there was nothing to see. It was apparently a master class by The Zac Attack which included a win on a possible future champion in the quirky Beauty Joy.
Over the years, Zac Purton has been associated with some of the best horses in the modern era of Hong Kong racing- Beauty Generation, Time Warp, Exultant, Military Attack and Aerovelocity.
Success with these Group One winning gallopers has made him a very rich man. So has winning the Caulfield Cup on Admire Rakti, the Hong Hong Derby on Luger, the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2012 on Little Bridge, and the only Jockey after Mosse and Moreira to have won all four of Hong Kong’s G1 International races held in December. Do the maths.
It’s no secret that he can’t wait to take a break from what has been a draining and testing season and sort out some niggling injuries.
For how much longer will he continue riding?Only he knows the answer to that, but with his kids Cash and Roxie growing up fast, one would think he would like to spend more quality time with them and Nicole.
There’s then no getting away from thinking about what Hong Kong is in 2022. This is no longer the city many of us remember as “Asia’s world city”.
With many leaving the city, no tourism and many minds in lockdown mode for over two years, things are on auto glide.
Where it’s heading, no one knows. How many will go along for the ride is debatable.
At 39, Zac Purton certainly doesn’t need the money. One guesses he’s working out all options.
He’s been on the Tatler list as one of the top 25 Influencers.
He has a popular Instagram page where he and Nicole are usually seen enjoying a meal prepared by a Michelin Star chef.
He has his own brand of casual wear.
He is building his own brand.
His inquisitive mind has him looking at business opportunities outside of horse racing which is going through a generational change.
There’s now young riding talent like James McDonald, Hollie Doyle, and William Buick.
Where does Zac Purton fit in?
More to the point, with everything he’s accomplished and whatever is on his career radar and bucket list, does he really want to fit in?
Maybe he has loftier ambitions...and why not?
