Hong Kong’s status as a global leader in thoroughbred racing is built on several factors – integrity, quality of horses, trainers and jockeys, the support and passion of Hong Kong’s owners and the enthusiasm of racing fans both locally and across the world.
For the past 50 years, the Apprentice Jockeys’ School (AJS) has played an integral role in strengthening Hong Kong’s international reputation. From its humble origins in Happy Valley to Beas River to the current world-class facility at Sha Tin, the AJS has become synonymous with Hong Kong racing.
From the globe-trotting deeds of Tony Cruz and the emergence of elite trainers such as Frankie Lor, Francis Lui and Ricky Yiu as well as several Group 1-winning contemporary jockeys, the AJS has played an incredibly important role over the past half century.
As Executive Director of Racing, I felt we had to have a more systematic approach to develop our talent and we founded the Racing Development Board (RDB) in 2005 and a dedicated training stable at the racecourse in Sha Tin was opened 2008.
Besides the training of stable staff, we also wanted to prepare apprentices as top-class athletes and in 2006 I was able to convince Amy Chan, who was in her sporting career a legendary badminton player and was then working in the Hong Kong Sports Institute with some of Hong Kong’s top athletes, to join us as our Headmistress of the Apprentice School.
We wanted a holistic and systematic approach to train our apprentices to become well rounded sportspeople with high integrity. Some of the graduates include Matthew Chadwick, Derek Leung, Keith Yeung, Vincent Ho and Matthew Poon.
The creation of the RDB in 2005 paved the way for even more opportunities because, apart from training for jockeys and work riders, the RDB delivered structural vocational training across a wide variety of racing-related areas, including certificate courses for stable assistants and assistant trainers.
These programmes, which are accredited by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic & Vocational Qualifications, have seen about 1,800 certificates issued to AJS trainees and non-riding professionals.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the AJS, the RDB has been rebranded as the Racing Talent Training Centre and will house two schools – the Apprentice Jockeys’ School and the Racing Talent School. This Sunday (5 June), we celebrate the AJS’s vast contribution to Hong Kong racing with the running of the Class 3 Apprentice Jockeys’ School 50th Anniversary Cup Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin on a weekend when international racing reaches a pinnacle in England, Japan and France.
The Apprentice Jockeys’ School 50th Anniversary Cup Handicap is carded as race seven and will be run at a good pace. Reve Parisien and Super Fortune will use their high speed from outside gates to make the running.
Reve Parisien will be ridden for the first time by Zac Purton and has come to hand in his last two starts after being imported from New Zealand. Super Fortune, a last start front-running winner in the class, course and distance, will also go forward with Karis Teetan. Both horses are place chances.
The tempo of the race may play into the hands of Red Titan, who showed good improvement in his last start and is well drawn with Joao Moreira. He will get a nice run from midfield and is a win and place chance. Adios makes his second start in Hong Kong after a promising debut at Happy Valley and is a place chance with Derek Leung taking the ride.
The Sunday finale is the Class 2 Beas River Handicap over 1400 metres with some up and coming horses heading the field. Lucky With You steps up in trip and returns to Sha Tin as a win and place chance with Zac Purton riding for the first time. His recent form has been excellent and this may be his best trip.
Navas Two has been away for two months and finally draws a good barrier with new jockey Alexis Badel. He will be slightly worse than midfield and will be closing ground late as a place chance. Winner Method will track the early leaders under Karis Teetan and is a place chance in his good form.
Navas Two, Winner Method, Lucky Sweynesse and Master Delight are all eligible for the Club’s High Achievement Bonus scheme.
Sunday also features the simulcast of the Yasuda Kinen and the French Derby. Saturday night features seven races from Epsom including the G1 Derby, which will be run at 11.30 pm at the distance of 2405m.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien is represented by three runners in the race, each of which is a son of Galileo and they will all go forward to help make the running. Changingoftheguard has made marked improvement this season and will be ridden by Wayne Lordan, while Ryan Moore has decided to stay with Stone Age. Both are last start winners in proper lead-up races and are place chances.
Desert Crown has impressed winning his only two starts and the G2 winner faces a tough test here. He clearly has ability and may appreciate the longer trip. I make him a win and place chance with Richard Kingscote riding for trainer Sir Michael Stoute.
Trainer Charlie Appleby also has three runners, the best of which is Nations Pride with William Buick riding. He will take a sit behind the leaders and is a colt that seems suited to the step up in trip. He has won four consecutive races by wide margins and is a place chance.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s first-time coverage of the Oaks on Friday night saw a fantastic finish between two of the greatest jockeys in Frankie Dettori and Ryan Moore and two fantastic fillies in Emily Upjohn and Tuesday, who could only be separated in a photo finish with Tuesday prevailing.
We hosted the World Pool for the first time on the Cazoo Oaks Day, which was a great success and made a significant contribution to Epsom with the staging of such a prestige event. Hopefully, we see one the fillies joining us for the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races in December.
The G1 Yasuda Kinen is run over 1600m at Tokyo Racecourse on good to firm ground on Sunday at 14.40pm. I make Songline a win and place chance ahead of Fine Rouge and Schnell Meister, while for the G1 Prix Du Jockey Club, which will be run over 2100m on good to soft ground at Chantilly Racecourse at 10pm on Sunday night, the improving French colt Al Hakeem, who is trained by Jean Claude Rouget and ridden by Cristian Demuro, is my win and place choice ahead of British raider and Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner Modern Games, who is trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick.
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