Those local football fans who closely follow European football will know that Barcelona star Lionel Messi is in sizzling form at the moment, having scored eight goals in his last three matches, including a hat-trick over Real Zaragoza at the weekend. I'm a great admirer of this young Argentinean's skills as no matter how well or badly things are going, you know that he is always capable of delivering a moment of magic and transforming the game in an instant.
In Hong Kong racing, we also have a jockey who is in blistering form at the moment, as our reigning champion jockey Douglas Whyte has emulated Messi by notching up eight wins in the last three race meetings, including a hat-trick at Sha Tin last weekend. Also on this list was an overdue first victory in the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby on 14 March. His impressive run has slashed what once looked like an impregnable lead by Brett Prebble to the margin of just seven winners.
I think this keen rivalry between Douglas and Brett is great for local racing and will give our fans lots of added interest and enjoyment over the coming weeks, so I hope that both riders can keep up their good form.
While these two jockeys have dominated the news recently, I know that a number of media commentaries have raised concern over the line-up of jockeys currently in the field. After American jockey Aaron Gryder decided to return to the States, some commentators said that it again reflected the Club's failure to attract top riders to stay and develop their riding career in Hong Kong. However, I hold a different view on this.
As you all know, the racing environment in Hong Kong is very competitive. It takes newcomers a considerable period of time to adapt fully to the racing mode and environment in Hong Kong, so they need to put a lot of effort, persistence and determination into the task if they really wish to establish their career here for the long-term.
In addition, I would say that the number of top jockeys available is now fewer than the past. Many other racing clubs and jurisdictions are now keen to boost their international status by securing the services of big names like Christophe Lemaire, Christophe Soumillon, Frankie Dettori and Olivier Peslier during European racing's winter break, so the competition for talented jockeys has become a lot more fierce. It is no longer as easy as the media suggests in striking the right deal and encouraging a top jockey to come and have their riding base in Hong Kong.
Having said that, I still think we have one of the strongest jockey line-ups of any jurisdiction in the world, with top names in the sport appearing here week after week and a wonderful pool of local talent keeping them on their toes.
Being a top jockey can be a glamorous profession but is also a very demanding one, as apart from having a great passion for the sport, you need to build up a huge knowledge of different horses and keep yourself in top condition. In their regular daily lives, though, jockeys often share the same hobbies or lifestyles as their fans. A few jockeys have recently participated in our Racing Hero feature series, in which they share stories and information about their lives outside horse racing with local fans on our website. I've watched a few episodes myself and I think it's a great opportunity to get to know more about them.
Douglas, for instance, talks about his love of tennis and his admiration for the never-say-die attitude of champion players like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. In the same series of interviews, you can learn more about two of our talented young local jockeys, Matthew Chadwick and Derek Leung, who talk about how their families have supported their development as jockeys, their personal feelings, their own ways of communicating with horses and their future career goals. More jockeys will appear in future episodes. So if you're interested in finding out more about our jockeys, you can check out these interviews through the Racing Heroes link on our website or through online platforms like Facebook and YouTube.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to some more intriguing battles between our jockeys on the all-weather track at Sha Tin tonight. This special Sha Tin midweek meeting provides another opportunity both for horses who have good track records on this surface and for those with lesser experience to show their capabilities on dirt. It also provides more form references for our fans.
Among the eight races on the card, I reckon that Tony Millard's True Intelligence should be a dominant force in the Crocus Handicap. This four-year-old produced some consistent performances this season, including a winner and a runner-up finish in his last two starts on the all-weather track. Although he's drawn wide to start at Gate 12 tonight, I hope he can continue to deliver a nice run. Another two prolific dirt performers Trulli and My Whisky, as well as all-weather track debutant One Wee Acorn, may also have chance to finish close in this competitive race.
In the Cornflower Handicap, there are quite a number of frontrunners participating in this race and I expect there will have a good pace. Having snatched a wonderful victory in the same course and distance last time, Almond Lee's Ole Ole again had a nice draw and let's see if he can repeat that sound performance tonight. Both Sunny Golf and Osvaldo have proven record and consistent performances on this track this season. Adding to Irish Jig, who just had a runner-up finish in his previous start on this track, they are also capable to give some challenges to Ole Ole.
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