Perched on 98 wins for the season, Zac Purton hopes to reach his annual benchmark at Sha Tin on Sunday as he looks to build momentum ahead of FWD Champions Day next week.

The eight-time champion Hong Kong jockey boasts a strong book of seven rides as he pursues the 100-win milestone for the 10th consecutive season and 11th overall in his glittering career.

“To ride 100 winners in a season, you’ve had a great season so it will be good to get there again,” Purton said.

“Then we’ve still got a few months of the season to go, so we’ll try and keep going. I’m getting there a little bit slower than I’d like, but that’s the way things go sometimes. Other jockeys would like to be getting to 100 in their career let alone 100 in a season, so that puts things in perspective and if you look at the season overall, it’s been a very good season.”

Purton, who is fast approaching another milestone with 1,976 wins in Hong Kong, reunites with Patch Of Cosmo in Sunday’s Class Two Fostering An Enabling And Inclusive Society Handicap (1,800m).

The Manfred Man Ka-leung-trained gelding is fresh from two strong runs in the Classic Series – a fast-finishing third to Stormy Grove in the Classic Cup (1,800m) and a fourth to Invincible Ibis in the Hong Kong Derby (2,000m).

Purton was aboard for his spectacular return from a tendon injury, when he overcame top weight of 135lb to win first up over 1,600m in January.

“He’s done a good job. He was off for a long time and came back to win first up over a mile with top weight,” Purton said.

“I thought all of runs in the four-year-old series were very solid. So, he’s had a bit more racing now. It’s hard to know at the moment what his distance is, but we’ll find that out in time. He’s honest.”

In the strongest race on the 11-event card, Patch Of Cosmo takes on the likes of the in-form Gentlemen Legacy, Stunning Peach, last-start Group One Gold Cup (2,000m) placegetter Winning Wing, Joy Of Spring and Sky Heart.

Aerovolanic is one of two last-start winners Purton hops aboard on Sunday, with the Pierre Ng Pang-chi-trained galloper chasing a hat-trick in the Class Three Helping Older Adults Age Well Handicap (1,400m).

He has won his past two starts by a combined four lengths, handling the rise to Class Three in his latest appearance to comfortably account for the consistent Super Express.

“He’s going the right way, of course. He’s full of confidence and he beat a pretty handy horse last time, so there’s a bit to like about him,” Purton said.

“With any horse, it’s very hard when they travel as strong as he has been travelling to still give everything they’ve got. He’s got to learn to manage himself better if he wants to take another step.

“Hopefully we can get another win out of him and get him into the bottom of [Class] Two with a lighter weight. I think that will help him as well.”

Gold Patch is Purton’s other last-start winner. The Francis Lui Kin-wai-trained galloper will bid for a third win at start four in the Class Three Enabling Professionals To Flourish For Their Charge Handicap (1,200m).

All Are Mine, Absolute Honour, California Star and Blazing Wind are Purton’s other Sha Tin rides.