Providing career pathways for committed and ambitious Hong Kong talent is at the heart of Club priorities and it is always satisfying to watch young home-grown personnel achieve their goals.
Angus Chung, 27, is the latest in a growing line of Hong Kong-raised jockeys to advance through the Club’s Apprentice Jockeys’ School (AJS) programme to status as a senior freelance rider after reaching the 70-win milestone with his success on COLOURFUL EMPEROR at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (1 May).
In doing so, Angus has benefited immensely from the guidance of AJS Headmistress, Amy Chan, and AJS Chief Riding Instructor, Felix Coetzee, his experience in South Australia where he rode 76 winners when attached to Jon O’Connor’s stable and, over the past two seasons, his apprenticeship in Hong Kong under Tony Cruz.
Angus’ development has accelerated under Tony since returning to Hong Kong and, with 39 wins this season, he sits fourth in the Hong Kong jockeys’ championship behind only Zac Purton (96 wins), Karis Teetan (66) and Hugh Bowman (49).
It is appropriate that Angus has been astutely mentored by Tony, who was among the first intake of apprentices to the HKJC Apprentice Jockey’s School in 1972, subsequently advancing to stunning global success as a jockey and trainer.
The success of the AJS was the forerunner to establishment of the Racing Development Board (RDB) in 2005, providing training for jockeys and work riders as well as structural vocational training involving the care and management of racehorses for others.
The RDB also redesigned the apprentice jockey training curriculum and added new ideas and values with the mission to provide racing industry personnel with formal training and a world-renowned qualification.
In 2022, to honour the 50th anniversary of the AJS, the Racing Development Board was rebranded as the Racing Talent Training Centre which, as a professional teaching institution, offers riding and non-riding programmes to nurture aspiring Hong Kong and Mainland talents.
Angus joins fellow home-grown talents Vincent Ho, Jerry Chau, Derek Leung, Matthew Chadwick, Keith Yeung, Matthew Poon, Alfred Chan and Dylan Mo as a senior rider on Hong Kong’s world-class jockey roster, while apprentice Ellis Wong continues to make impressive development with 17 wins this season.
I congratulate Angus on his graduation and I wish him all the best for the future.
Our World Pool programme continues tonight from Newmarket in England, with the first of nine races – the Listed Ellen Chaloner Stakes – to be run at 8.10pm. The feature of the meeting is the G1 2000 Guineas (1600m), which is carded as S1-5 and will be run at 10.35pm.
The pace should be good from the outset with NIGHT RAIDER and INISHERIN both pressing forward to race on the speed, with CITY OF TROY taking a trail just behind the leaders. GHOSTWRITER also has good tactical speed and should settle in a forward position with HAATEM and TEN BOB TONY also in the lead group.
The favourite is CITY OF TROY, Europe’s highest-rated two-year-old in 2023 with a rating of 125. By US Triple Crown winner JUSTIFY out of GALILEO mare TOGETHER FOREVER, CITY OF TROY has been described as Coolmore’s version of the incredible champion FRANKEL and Aidan O’Brien has made no secret of his admiration of the colt, commenting “he’s something that we haven’t had before.”
CITY OF TROY was undefeated in three starts last year, winning the G1 Dewhurst Stakes (1400m) at Newmarket by a wide margin from ALYANAABI at his last outing in October, when he made the running and was dominant in victory. CITY OF TROY makes his seasonal reappearance here. Aidan has won the 2000 Guineas ten times before and CITY OF TROY is my win selection for Ryan Moore.
CITY OF TROY’S full brother UNBELIEVABLE is trained in Hong Kong by Frankie Lor and has been kept as a colt in the hope of becoming a stallion prospect and he will run at Sha Tin tomorrow in the G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup Handicap (2400m).
ROSALLION was another class juvenile last season, winning the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (1400m) at ParisLongchamp, when Sean Levey held him towards the rear before running home strongly to beat UNQUESTIONABLE. ROSALLION’s only defeat in four starts was his third in the G2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. ROSALLION also has his first run of the year in this race and is a place chance.
GHOSTWRITER is trained by Clive Cox and is another horse making his seasonable reappearance, having won all three starts last year. GHOSTWRITER was an impressive winner of the G2 Royal Lodge Stakes over this course and trip on 30 September defeating AL MUSMAK and CAPULET, when he stalked the speed and finished off nicely. Richard Kingscote takes the ride and GHOSTWRITER is a place chance.
NOTABLE SPEECH is unbeaten in three starts this year winning all on the All Weather at Kempton. In each win, his rider William Buick has settled NOTABLE SPEECH at the back of the field, running home strongly. Trainer Charlie Appleby is stepping NOTABLE SPEECH up in class but he is a place chance.
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