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Moreira and Purton in race for favorite jockey

Updated: 2015-07-07 09:31

By Sylvia Chang(HK Edition)

On July 10 the HK Jockey Club will announce the city's Most Popular Jockey of the Year. Sylvia Chang talked to two top jockeys in town and reviewed their remarkable careers.

The city's Most Popular Jockey of the Year will be named on July 10 at the Champion Awards ceremony. The two leading contenders for the award are "Magic Man" Joao Moreira from Brazil and Hong Kong's reigning top jockey, Zac Purton from Australia. They possess similar qualities as winning riders: a love of horses; razor sharp focus, a determination to improve their skills and a will to win.

Away from the race track, the two personalities are completely different from one another. Moreira is shy and quiet; Purton is open and talkative. They're competitors in races yet friends in daily life.

Both Moreira and Purton started their careers in their own countries before coming to Hong Kong. Both riders agree that Hong Kong is the most competitive horse racing venue in the world for jockeys.

"The main reason (for me to come to Hong Kong) is that this place is like a mirror. If you get here and do well, the world will see you doing well. People worldwide watch horse racing. It's a dream for every jockey to race here one day," Moreira told China Daily.

"The prize money is extremely high. The quality of the horses is world-class. The turnover on the racing here is the hottest in the world," Purton said, relaxing on the couch in his apartment provided by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Moreira and Purton ride with different styles, but show high regard for each other's skills in the saddle. "We're very similar in a lot of ways. We're both good at getting out of the gates, getting into position on the track, and understanding the pace of our horses," Purton said.

"He rides on a shorter rein and sometimes makes early moves. I ride on a longer rein and have my horse more relaxed until the final stretch," Purton continued.

It's been a tough climb getting to the top of the horse racing circuit, maintaining the intensive routines of regular exercise demanded of jockeys, and the rigid disciplines of diet. A jockey typically eats an apple for breakfast, some bread for lunch, vegetables for dinner and half a glass of water. That's their daily sustenance. "You have to find your energy from somewhere else. From your psychological spirit" Moreira explained.

Losing weight is the most challenging thing for the two. A weight around 113 ponds is best for a jockey. Being lighter, said Purton, has been an advantage for Moreira. "He's 113 ponds and I'm 120. I can't choose any of these horses in his weight range."

Purton laughed frequently as he joked about his approaching retirement and chatted about his encounter with his wife, saying he was "shocked by her beauty" the first time they met in Australia. Moreira, unlike the gregarious Purton, is a bit shy facing a camera. For him, dealing with people is challenging in itself. He prefers horses. But he's open in talking about his social disadvantage, saying that he tries to balance it up on the track.

Purton worked hard to earn the city's top jockey honors last year. Moreira came to Hong Kong in 2013, put on an extraordinary display of horsemanship this year, and looks set to unseat the Australian after just one year as the city's champion jockey.

Latest updates show that 70 percent of ballots favored Moreira as this year's most popular jockey. Approaching the end of the interview, Moreira stopped, deep in thought. Half a minute later, he said, "Look, everyone else thinks that I'm a superstar. I've got skill. I am very successful. But I do make mistakes. I do upset people as well. I'm a human being. I'm not a super hero."

Contact the writer at sylvia@chinadailyhk.com