Purton back onboard Little Bridge

3rd Feb 2012

Leading jockey Zac Purton will ride Little Bridge (NZ) (Faltaat) in the HK-1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. 

Little Bridge (NZ)

Purton, the regular rider of Sacred Kingdom (Encosta De Lago), has switched rides with Gerald Mosse, who has ridden Little Bridge (NZ) at his past three starts but will ride Sacred Kingdom on Sunday.

"I think the owners of Sacred Kingdom wanted to try Gerald again and I'm only too pleased to be back on Little Bridge," said Purton, who has won six of his 11 rides on Little Bridge (NZ). "I think he has gone up to a new level this season, showing he's as good as any sprinter around and I didn't think I would get back on him so soon, but I am very thankful to the owners and Danny."

Little Bridge (NZ) worked in blinkers for the first time on Thursday and suitably impressed Purton.

"I'm not sure if Danny plans to use the blinkers on Sunday, but the way he worked in them I'd think they'd be a real positive," Purton said.

"Last season Little Bridge reached a point in his campaign where he started to hit a bit of a flat spot and, from my reading of it, he has been doing something similar again lately. Maybe the blinkers would help him over that."

The winner of 7 races including the Group Two Jockey Club Sprint, the Danny Shum-trained galloper will meet a similar field to the ones he has faced at his past three starts, with rising stars Lucky Nine (Dubawi) and Eagle Regiment (El Moxie) both engaged to run.

The other NZ-breds contesting this race are Joy and Fun (NZ) (Cullen) who finished second in the HK-1 HKJC Kent & Curwen Centenary Sprint Cup (1000m) last start and the Tony Cruz-trained Blaze King (NZ) (Elusive City). 

To view the Race Card for the meeting at Sha Tin on Sunday, please click here.