After Maureen Haggas called Zac Purton’s ride on Lake Forest “the worst I’ve ever seen,” the Idol Horse News Desk asks a simple question: when does passion for racing turn into disrespect?
Host Jack Dawling and Michael Cox unpack the comments, explore the cultural gap between British and Hong Kong racing, and consider what modern professionalism looks like in a global sport.
It’s not about the ride - it’s about the line between fair critique and something more personal.
00:00:00 Intro: Maureen Haggas vs Zac Purton (setting the scene)
00:00:32 The outburst: “Worst ride I’ve ever seen”
00:02:14 When critique becomes personal — Michael Cox reacts
00:03:50 Old world vs new world: racing culture clash
00:04:45 Inside Hong Kong’s standards and scrutiny
00:06:35 Zac Purton’s professionalism and Everest buildup
00:08:20 The Lake Forest run: nothing wrong with the ride
00:09:50 1,900 Hong Kong wins — Purton’s milestone
00:10:35 The global melting pot of racing styles
00:12:45 Respect, awareness, and outdated language
00:14:52 James McDonald and the wider issue of respect
00:15:50 Final thoughts: where passion crosses the line
00:16:15 Outro: follow Idol Horse Newsdesk
- (00:00) - Haggas vs Zac Purton: When Does Racing Passion Cross the Line?
- (00:00) - Chapter 2
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- (00:00) - Maureen Haggas called Zac Purton’s ride on Lake Forest “the worst I’ve ever seen,” Jack Dawling and Michael Cox unpack the comments and the clash between British tradition and Hong Kong professionalism. Featuring James McDonald, this episode asks where racing passion ends and respect begins.
- (00:00) - Chapter 5
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- (00:00) - Haggas, Zac Purton, Lake Forest, James McDonald, Hong Kong racing, British racing, Idol Horse Newsdesk, Michael Cox, Jack Dawling, racing respect
- (00:00) - Chapter 8
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- (00:00) - Chapter 10
- (00:00) - Dawling (00:01.772)
- (00:00) - Maureen certainly did not hold back. From “Big City” to “the worst ride I’ve ever seen,” Maureen Haggas’ extraordinary outburst at Zac Purton has lit up the racing world. Purton’s laughed it off and Idol Horse editor Michael Cox joins me, Jack Dawling, to unpack the comments, the reaction, and what it says about the sport’s fine line between passion and respect. For the Idol Horse Newsdesk, it’s Thursday, October 23rd.
- (00:00) - Chapter 13
- (00:00) - Dawling (00:32.504)
- (00:00) - Michael, thanks for joining me to discuss this tirade into Zac’s ride on Lake Forest in the King Charles III Stakes. For those that don’t know, Lake Forest was never really in the race and finished a disappointing last of 12. But first, let’s have a listen to Maureen Haggas’ comments to Racing TV at Kempton on Wednesday night.
- (00:00) - Chapter 16
- (00:00) - Haggas (audio excerpt)
- (00:00) - Forest, well, as far as I’m concerned, Lake Forest never had a race…
- (00:00) - Chapter 19
- (00:00) - Dawling
- (00:00) - there’s a lot to unpack there. What are your first reactions to those comments?
- (00:00) - Chapter 22
- (00:00) - Cox (02:14.356)
- (00:00) - thought they were pretty ignorant, maybe offensive, and definitely non-constructive. Criticism is part of racing, but this crossed the line into personal insult.
- (00:00) - Chapter 25
- (00:00) - Dawling
- (00:00) - — words like appalled, horrified, big sissy — that’s personal. Taking out who she’s talking about, this is still a fellow professional. How did we get here?
- (00:00) - Chapter 28
- (00:00) - Cox
- (00:00) - not about Zac Purton so much as the attitude. Calling any athlete a “big sissy” in 2025 is outdated. Hong Kong racing is about equality and professionalism — men and women compete on equal footing.
- (00:00) - Chapter 31
- (00:00) - Dawling
- (00:00) - and it’s also about awareness. The Haggas team have had great success in Australia, but there’s still this sense of distance — as if Hong Kong or Australia racing sits apart.
- (00:00) - Chapter 34
- (00:00) - Cox (04:10.072)
- (00:00) - There’s still an old-world vs new-world divide. People underestimate the scrutiny riders face here — stewards’ reviews, fitness checks, the professionalism. Zac’s handled huge pressure recently — think of the Everest, the media duties, the expectation — and he’s been pure class.
- (00:00) - Chapter 37
- (00:00) - Cox (06:35.806)
- (00:00) - for someone to use that kind of language after that level of professionalism? Disrespectful. Zac just laughed it off, called it “comical.” He knows what constructive criticism is — this wasn’t that.
- (00:00) - Chapter 40
- (00:00) - Dawling
- (00:00) - look at the ride itself. Lake Forest never found anything when asked. What did you make of it?
- (00:00) - Chapter 43
- (00:00) - Cox
- (00:00) - horse had nothing to give. Zac tried everything — he’s made a career out of getting the best out of tricky horses. This wasn’t about effort.
- (00:00) - Chapter 46
- (00:00) - Dawling (08:40.83)
- (00:00) - And while all that was happening, he notched his 1,900th Hong Kong win on Talent Supremo at Happy Valley. Eight-time champion, nearly 2,000 wins — that’s the real headline.
- (00:00) - Chapter 49
- (00:00) - Cox
- (00:00) - And it’s ironic that Maureen’s comments came hours after Zac’s Everest triumph — his career peak. That’s the part worth talking about. His consistency, his professionalism.
- (00:00) - Chapter 52
- (00:00) - Dawling (10:35.562)
- (00:00) - Hong Kong racing itself — that melting pot of global styles. You’ve got Australians, Brits, Japanese, Europeans all riding together. There’s not one “right” way to ride a horse.
- (00:00) - Chapter 55
- (00:00) - Cox (14:52.578)
- (00:00) - Comments like Maureen’s miss that global perspective. The sport has evolved — styles merge, ideas blend. Respect has to evolve too.
- (00:00) - Chapter 58
- (00:00) - Dawling (15:50)
- (00:00) - said. And it’s worth noting she also criticised James McDonald — the world’s top-ranked jockey — which only underlines how misplaced the comments were.
- (00:00) - Chapter 61
- (00:00) - Dawling (16:15)
- (00:00) - Michael, for unpacking all that. If you want more analysis from Zac, James, and the rest of the international racing scene, head to idolhorse.com and follow @IdolHorse for updates. From the Newsdesk team, I’m Jack Dawling — see you next time.
