Zac Purton has responded to criticism of his ride on Lake Forest

Zac Purton has defended his ride on the William Haggas-trained Lake Forest

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Thu October 23, 2025 · 3d ago

Australian jockey Zac Purton – rider of leading sprinter Ka Ying Rising – has defended his ride on the William Haggas-trained Lake Forest.

The Hong Kong-based rider had earlier landed the TAB Everest – worth nearly £3.5m to the winner - on David Hughes’ Ka Ying Rising but attracted criticism from Haggas’s wife Maureen who described it as ‘about the worst ride’ she had witnessed when talking to Racing TV at Kempton on Wednesday evening.

Having told SENTrack's Giddy Up show ‘I thank her for her advice but I haven't had time to watch the replay yet because I've been too busy watching replays of myself winning the $20aus million Everest!’, Purton put further meat on the bones when talking to host Nick Luck on his daily podcast.

He explained: “He was a little bit of a handful in the parade ring and going to the gates, which I was told about. That is what he is like I was told.

“We got a squeeze just after the start and he was on and off the bit, the pace of the race wasn’t smooth – it was muddling – but when they quickened from the 500m mark he didn’t respond at all.

“He didn’t get into the race at all. The reality is that the horse just didn’t turn up on the day, for whatever reason. He wasn’t responding to my riding at the time.

“He wasn’t responding to my hits of the whip – we have whip rules, you have to abide by them – you can’t just keep flogging a dead horse.

“Sometimes they just don’t turn up.”

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