Zac Purton may have landed in hot water after a contentious Caulfield Cup ride, but following similar instructions and "riding for luck" was the key to High Speed Metro's success as the Australian rider bounced back with a treble at Sha Tin yesterday.
It's a long way from a Caulfield Cup to a Class Five, but the directions for Purton aboard both Japanese stayer Fame Game and Sean Woods-trained High Speed Metro were nearly identical: "Ride for luck and stay on the inside of runners where possible."
GALLERY: Kenneth Chan's photos of all races at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Fame Game's fast-finishing Caulfield Cup sixth not only caught the eye of punters, but also stewards, with stipes grilling Purton post-race over what they perceived as "low percentage" tactics in the mile-and-a-half Group One in Melbourne.
Purton, who will ride Fame Game in the Melbourne Cup in just over two weeks, came away from Caulfield with nothing but a warning, and playing the percentages paid off yesterday when High Speed Metro made it two wins for the term.
"Sean gave me some more insight into the horse after I rode him into second last time - he said that he likes to be ridden for luck and in between horses," Purton said. "We did that today and the breaks went our way."
It was a case of three down and 12 to go in winning trainer Woods' quest to retain his licence and High Speed Metro's good form and apparent upside could prove key, with the six-year-old to remain in the grade and be aimed at an upcoming 2,000m event.
"I think that will suit him even more," Woods said, with Purton agreeing that the winner of three races in 31 starts could still have room to move at the ratings.
"He won with a little bit in hand, so there's no doubt with the right set of circumstance he can win another one."
The right set of circumstances has taken a while to manifest for Purton's first winner, much-maligned sprinter Masquerader, now with another trainer trying to fend off enforced retirement, Andreas Schutz.
Group One-placed and a Group Two winner as a young horse in Australia, Masquerader's rating had tumbled from 92 to 40 after a winless streak stretching through 38 mostly disappointing runs for three different trainers.
"Honestly, he didn't want to win today either," Schutz said. "He had three gears in the straight and two were reverse, he just doesn't put in any effort. He wasn't even blowing or sweating after the race."
Not for the first time at Sha Tin, Masquerader had trialled well in the lead-up but this time the son of Lucky Owners took it to the track on race-day - but even then the result might have more to do with the lack of quality lining up against him.
"It was clear that if he could just reproduce that trial, he would win that race," said Purton, who now has eight wins for the season after his late start. "Like a lot of Class Fives if you draw the right gate and get the right run you win. Hopefully, Andreas can transform him like he did with Trillion Treasure."
To that, Schutz warned followers not to hold their breath: "He can run better races if he strikes a softer, rain-affected track, but in his favour, even though he has had a heap of problems over the years, he is clear now and well in himself."
Purton won on Archippus at the gelding's first two starts nearly two years ago, and the jockey says the five-year-old, now with trainer Paul O'Sullivan, could undergo something of a resurrection after a gritty short-head victory.
"He has now won two from three for Paul and the horse has really turned things around," Purton said.
