Talent development and creating career pathways is one of the Hong Kong Jockey Club prime objectives and we are proud of the diversity and scope of our developmental programmes.
The Club’s Racing Talent Training Centre (RTTC), which features the Apprentice Jockeys’ School and the Racing Talent School, delivers riding and non-riding programmes, respectively, and provides wonderful opportunities for aspiring youngsters – both in Hong Kong and the Mainland – to pursue career aspirations.
The RTTC is the latest iteration of the Club’s development prorgramme, following on from the Apprentice Jockeys’ School, which was created in 1972, and then the Racing Development Board which delivered structural vocational training across the care and management of racehorses from 2005, when there was also a redesign of the apprentice jockey training curriculum and an infusion of new ideas and values with a mission to provide racing industry personnel with formal training and world-renowned qualification.
The RTTC celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022 and the list of graduates stretching back over five decades is long and illustrious with the success of world-class jockeys and trainers such as Tony Cruz, Francis Lui, Frankie Lor, Danny Shum, Vincent Ho, Matthew Chadwick and Derek Leung to name just a few as well as many others in a wide variety of areas associated with racing outside of riding and training.
When I was Director of Racing in 2005, I changed the Apprentice Training Curriculum including that our apprentices had the opportunity to go overseas for a period of at least one year to get experience riding in races in different tracks to become more well-rounded horsemen before coming into the ultra-competitive Hong Kong racing circle and riding against the world’s best.
More recently, we have witnessed the impressive performances of Jerry Chau and Angus Chung and on Wednesday night (10 January), Ellis Wong reached an important milestone with his first win at Happy Valley aboard LYRICAL MOTION.
As a 23-year-old, Ellis is in only his second season of Hong Kong race riding after landing 88 winners in South Australia as part of his education. We currently have three other Hong Kong apprentices – Nichola Yuen, Britney Wong and Alan Lai – currently riding in South Australia to gain experience and I wish them all the best for the future.
The presence of top expatriate jockeys in Hong Kong not only sustains our world-class racing but also serves to help fast-track the development of home-grown riders and I am pleased that Andrea Atzeni, Brenton Avdulla and Keagan De Melo have had their licenses extended until the end of the season.
With 20 wins, Andrea sits sixth in the championship behind Zac Purton (50), Karis Teetan (35), Hugh Bowman (26), Angus (21) and Vincent (21), while Brenton (11) and Keagan (11) are both making inroads as the season wears on.
At Sha Tin on Saturday, the feature race is the Pok Oi Cup, which is carded as Race 7 at 4.05pm over 1200m for Class 2 horses with prizemoney of HK$2,840,000.
GALAXY PATCH, LUCKY ENCOUNTER and GUMMY GUMMY are all leading chances and are eligible for bonuses ranging from HK$1 million to HK$1.5 million for their owners, if successful.
The pace in the race will be good with the PING HAI GALAXY finding the front from gate three. KEEFY should find the leader’s back from his rails drawn and LUCKY ENCOUNTER will be close to the speed. BUNDLE OF CHARM and WINNING ICEY should also be in the leading division.
GALAXY PATCH has made an excellent start to his racing career in Hong Kong winning three of his first four starts, with his only defeat coming when he raced on the All Weather Track at his second run.
He could have hardly been more impressive when settling midfield on the rails and letting down brilliantly when getting clear room in the straight to beat THE HEIR on 10 December. GALAXY PATCH rises in class but has drawn well in gate five and should get the run of the race for Karis Teetan and he is my win and place chance.
LUCKY ENCOUNTER was chasing a winning hat-trick when beaten as favourite behind HELIOS EXPRESS over this course and distance back on 19 November. When beaten by Hong Kong Classic Mile favourite HELIOS EXPRESS, LUCKY ENCOUNTER had after the race on post-race scoping some blood in the trachea, which made have impacted his performance when running flat in the last 50m. LUCKY ENCOUNTER spent more than a month at Conghua after that run and has trialled well since returning to Sha Tin, where he has been working well. Andrea Atzeni takes the ride for the first time and LUCKY ENCOUNTER is the main danger to GALAXY PATCH.
BUNDLE OF CHARM won two races over this course and distance last season. At his latest outing at Happy Valley, he settled close to the speed and stayed on for fourth to SON PAK FU on 29 November. BUNDLE OF CHARM has had two easy trials since that race and is a place chance at good odds from his inside draw, with Brenton Avdulla taking the ride for the first time.
WINNING ICEY was consistent last season, winning three races and was having his first run this season when fifth to MAJESTIC KNIGHT in a strong race at Happy Valle on 4 January. This is WINNING ICEY’s first run on the turf at Sha Tin and also the first ride for Vincent Ho on the horse. He will improve from his good effort first-up and is a place chance.
One of the really interesting races on the programme is the Tin Shui Wai Handicap, carded as Race 9 at 17.10pm. The race is run over 1600m and restricted to four-year-olds who are heading towards the BMW Hong Kong Derby on 24 March, while some of the field may first aim for the Hong Kong Classic Mile on 4 February on their way to the BMW Derby.
There are a number of talented horses with Group form from overseas engaged and the field also includes last start winners SPEED DRAGON and FALLON, as well as Francis Lui’s exciting prospect CHANCHENG GLORY, who is chasing his fifth win in a row.
It will be exciting to see the form emerge over the next two months as our best Classic Generation horses tackle the Four-Year-Old Classic Series and ultimately chase “One In A Lifetime Glory” in the Hong Kong Derby.
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