He may not have bounced back into the new season like he did at 21, but Zach Parton will be back in action this weekend with renewed positivity after a tough 2021-22 campaign.
Parton battled injuries throughout most of last semester, especially after a big crash at the Hong Kong sprint in December, and he’s still battling plenty of woes despite spending the off-season relaxing in Dubai and the Maldives. .
On top of that, months of COVID-19 suffocation restrictions have taken a toll on those within the Jockey Club’s “horse racing bubble”, leaving many questioning their future in Hong Kong. I got
How much is the Australian going to demand of the 39-year-old’s body and whether this season will be his last in a city lagging behind the rest of the world in dealing with coronavirus. Many people are wondering.
But despite speculation about his future, Parton will focus on what’s right in front of him as he heads into Sunday’s season opener.
“It’s a new season and I can’t wait to get out there and see what happens,” he said. “We’ll work it out from there, given the circumstances of the season.”
Parton posted an exceptional four-timer this weekend to break the deadlock with João Moreira and secure the premiership for the fifth jockey nine times to pick up where he left off on the final day of the previous campaign. horseback riding.
Moreira has missed at least the first two meetings of the season as he tries to get back to near-perfect fitness, and has also offered no guarantees that Hong Kong will be part of his long game. – Period planning.
“I didn’t really have time to think about it. I was in a big rush to get to the airport, so I just jumped right into the vacation and didn’t think about it any more,” Parton said. of his championship clinch quartet.
“It was strange that I didn’t reflect on it, but I’m glad I was able to finish my work and go on a trip and have a nice vacation. I was able to leave Hong Kong for a while, away from Hong Kong and refresh. What happened here? everything that exists.”
What Parton looks back fondly on that great final day is riding the David Hall-trained Never Too Soon. He teamed up again for Sunday’s Class 3 Sunset Peak his handicap (1,400 m).
“Everything was on the line that day and it looked like the fence was off, so it was probably one of my rides this season,” he said.
“They ran very hard in the first part of the race and then they hit the break around the corner and everything got a little fanned and I was penultimate but I slipped through the inside. and joined the leader by the time it was straightened out.
“It’s not going to happen, so he’ll never be in the same situation again, and since he was awkwardly tied at 13, he’ll probably come back, so it’s going to be harder.
“He’s been up in ratings as well, but just as he’s started to settle in, he’s certainly started to show his best form, so he can definitely keep it going.”
Parton also rides This Is Charisma in the halls and has teamed with another Australian, David Hayes, four times.
“I ended up with a four for him. That’s just how it worked out, but he did well last season. They’ll give it to you,” said Parton in his Wide Blue Yonder. Oriental Smoke, Starry Night, and Birdsville to his compatriots.
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