Records tumbled, several of the city’s star gallopers shone on the Group One stage yet again and the four-year-old series kicked off with the Classic Mile in a busy January for racing in Hong Kong.

The Post analyses the jockeys and trainers who had a month to remember or one to forget, as well as the most outstanding victory and winning ride.

Who’s hot?

It was business as usual for Zac Purton, with the champion jockey booting home 20 winners in the same month he celebrated breaking Douglas Whyte’s all-time record for winners ridden in Hong Kong.

If Purton keeps up this relentless momentum, we might be talking about him chasing another record – his 179 wins in a single season in 2022-23.

While most of the attention was on Purton, his compatriot Hugh Bowman put together a successful month with 11 victories, including a four-timer in consecutive races at Sha Tin on Friday.

John Size added to his resurgent December with another excellent month, racking up 11 wins from 77 runners at a healthy strike rate of 14.28 per cent.

After a slow start to the season, the 12-time championship winner has recovered to sit just three wins behind title leader Danny Shum Chap-shing.

Who’s not?

It’s been a while between drinks for Me Tsui Yu-sak – two months, to be precise.

The veteran handler was the only trainer to not notch a win in January and he carries a winless streak of 53 runners into February. His last victory was with Sergeant Pepper at Happy Valley on December 4.

Michael Chang Chun-wai and Mark Newnham were staring down the barrel of a winless month until Friday’s Lunar New Year meeting delivered them some much-needed success.

Chang endured a run of 37 runners without a triumph before New Future Folks made all, while Newnham’s superb start to the season came to a bit of a halt with a winless streak of 49 runners.

The Australian handler managed to bounce back with the biggest win of his Hong Kong career, courtesy of My Wish in the Classic Mile, before South African newcomer Mid Winter Wind handed him a double.

From a jockey’s perspective, Antoine Hamelin couldn’t add to his two drought-breaking victories in December, while Ben Thompson was looking at a winless month until breaking through with New Future Folks on Friday.

Win of the month

Once again, it’s hard to go past Ka Ying Rising after his demolition job in the Group One Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m).

Coming off a tough but perhaps unspectacular triumph in the Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) in December, the sprinter rated by many as the best in the world returned to his dominant winning ways in scintillating style.

Booted out of barrier eight by Purton to assume the lead, the David Hayes-trained gelding dictated from the front at a quick tempo and exploded in the straight to eclipse his own track record from November.

And once again, he did it while being eased down for a substantial section of the race late by Purton.

Ride of the month

Lyle Hewitson ventured where few would dare when booting home Another World at Sha Tin on January 5.

After settling back in the field on the inside rail from gate nine, the Benno Yung Tin-pang-trained gelding saved ground early in the straight but was in trouble when copping a check between two rivals at the 200m.

Hewitson maintained his balance, waited for the gap to reappear inside the 100m and speared Another World through to land a miraculous, last-gasp victory.

Other top rides in January were Purton’s pearler aboard Kasa Papa, offsetting barrier nine to help the 30-start maiden break through at the Valley, and Keith Yeung Ming-lun’s drought breaker on Never Peter Out from gate 11 on the dirt.