Excitement machine Packing Power extends unbeaten streak under Zac Purton (SCMP)

Passing his first test at Sha Tin with flying colours, Packing Power continued his march towards the four-year-old series when brilliantly maintaining his unblemished record on Tuesday.

Stepping up to Class Three company for the first time, Danny Shum Chap-shing’s exciting galloper overcame the outside draw under Zac Purton and enhanced his rising reputation with victory in the Shangai Handicap (1,200m).

Purton opted to send Packing Power forward from barrier 10 and the move paid off, with the son of Toronado securing an ideal run trailing the leader, Glory Elite.

Starting the $2.5 favourite after a pair of superb Happy Valley wins, Packing Power let loose when called upon by Purton to snatch the lead at the 200m and draw clear.

Purton didn’t use the whip and barely moved a muscle in the concluding stages as the gelding cruised home by a length. Glory Elite held second ahead of the fast-finishing My Wish.

Purton was full of praise for Packing Power, who is bound for the first leg of the four-year-old series, the Classic Mile, in January.

“He’s getting more switched on with his race craft every start, which is good,” Purton said.

“It was nice that we were able to get across in the manner that we did, but what I liked the most was the way he relaxed during the mid-stages of the race – he was off the bit, just cruising along waiting for the signal.

“It’s a good sign. He’ll give himself a chance to run a mile when he needs to. We’ll take our time.”

Packing Power made a spectacular debut to score by a length and a half in June and resumed this term with a dominant two-and-a-half-length triumph at the city circuit.

Later on Tuesday’s card, Winning Gold was another progressive four-year-old to register a winning hat-trick after storming home in the Class Three Tianjin Handicap (1,400m).

Ridden by Keagan de Melo, the Chris So Wai-yin-trained gelding launched a powerful run from second last to gun down Purton’s mount Top Gun by half a length.

That prevented Purton from notching a treble after he also won earlier on another promising four-year-old, View Of The World, for Dennis Yip Chor-hong.

Breaking through at his third start, the Derryn gelding stormed home to score by half a length from Jumbo Fortune, denying that galloper’s handler David Eustace a dream start to his Hong Kong career.

“He’s a nice horse. Last season he had two races and finished very well,” Yip said.

“I know he can stay 1,400m and I spoke to Zac after his Happy Valley trial and he said he would be fine. I decided to run over 1,400m so Zac could ride for me.

“Later on, he might be able to go to a mile, he’s a very honest horse. We’ll stay at 1,400m for now and let him mature for one or two races.”

Yip joined Purton with a brace after combining with the in-form Matthew Poon Ming-fai to win the first section of the Class Four Chongqing Handicap (1,200m) with Great Spirit.