Providing career pathways for talented locals sits at the heart of Hong Kong Jockey Club operations and it is always uplifting to watch young and ambitious individuals make the most of their opportunities across a variety of vocations.
The Club has a proud history of developing aspiring youth, dating back to Tony Cruz’s entry into Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Apprentice Jockeys’ School in 1972 to start a glittering career, which culminated in multiple champion titles as jockey and trainer.
As a six-time champion jockey with a total of 946 wins, Tony successfully transferred his skills to training and, after winning two Hong Kong trainers’ championships, he now needs only two more victories as a trainer to reach 1,600 wins and trails only John Moore (1,735 wins) and John Size (1,645) for the most victories by a trainer in Hong Kong.
Tony’s towering achievements – both in Hong Kong and overseas – reflect tremendously on our city and the power of ambition, and it was only fitting that the Tony Cruz Award was struck in his honour and contested annually in recognition of the leading homegrown jockey each season.
Since its inauguration in the 2015/16 season, when it was won by Kei Cheong, the Tony Cruz Award has become synonymous with excellence among our homegrown jockeys.
Since Kei’s victory, Vincent Ho (four wins), Derek Leung (two), Matthew Chadwick (one), Angus Chung (one) and Matthew Poon (one) have all triumphed, often after dramatic battles for supremacy.
After 58 of 88 scheduled meetings in the 2025/26 season, Jerry Chau (33 wins) leads Vincent (27) for this season’s Tony Cruz Award and is riding in wonderful form after eight wins in March, including a treble and two doubles.
Jerry has made great progress since returning to Hong Kong from Australia in 2020, adding 206 wins to the 77 he rode in Australia, and currently sits fourth in the jockeys’ championship behind only Zac Purton (91 wins), Hugh Bowman (44) and Andrea Atzeni (43).
Jerry’s efficiency this season has seen him partner winners for 11 separate trainers – Cody Mo (nine), David Eustace (five), Francis Lui (four), Mark Newnham (four), Manfred Man (three), Tony Cruz (two), Danny Shum (two), Brett Crawford (one), Frankie Lor (one), Pierre Ng (one) and Ricky Yiu (one).
It is always exciting to welcome fresh talent into Hong Kong’s world-class racing and I would like to wish apprentice jockey Nichola Yuen the very best of luck tonight when she makes her competitive riding debut in Hong Kong.
Nichola, 25, rode 60 winners in Australia, 10 in New Zealand and seven in South Africa as part of her training before being granted a licence to ride in Hong Kong.
Nichola has five rides tonight – DOUBLE BINGO, PI LEGEND, TOURBILLON GOLFER, FUN N FUN TOGETHER and DRAGON AIR FORCE – and, with a 10-pound allowance, Nichola has the opportunity to quickly make her mark.
Hong Kong’s racing continues at Sha Tin tonight (1 April) with a nine-race card on the All Weather Track.
The Class 3 Choi Wan Handicap is carded as Race 9 and will be run over 1650m at 10.50pm with prizemoney of HK$2,050,000.
The pace will be good to fast. VOYAGE SAMURAI (Derek Leung) is likely to lead from gate six. TELECOM FIGHTERS (Angus Chung) is drawn on the outside of VOYAGE SAMURAI and can follow him forward to settle outside the leader. DRAGON AIR FORCE will be handy, with LOCH TAY and SO YOU WILL settling just behind the leading pair.
NEHZA relished the switch to the All Weather Track when he settled midfield on the rail before dashing impressively down the centre of the track to beat CALIFORNIA STAR over this distance on 15 March. NEHZA rises in class but has only 116lb, with Matthew Poon taking the ride. He has been working well since that victory and is a win and place chance.
TALENTS AMBITION won twice last season over this course and distance but is yet to win this season. Last start he went back from a wide gate and ran home well in the straight along the rail finishing fourth to THUNDER BLAZE and ROMANTIC THOR. Zac Purton rides TALENTS AMBITION for the first time and he may settle closer from gate five and is a place chance.
ROMANTIC THOR has run well at two runs on this surface. He was third to SKY VINO on 14 February and then finished second to THUNDER BLAZE on 15 March. Gate 13 makes the challenge harder for new rider Karis Teetan, but ROMANTIC THOR is going well and is a place chance again.
DRAGON AIR FORCE looks like a good ride for Nichola Yuen. He won over this course and distance on 21 January beating SKY VINO and then ran second to the same horse in a tight finish on 14 February. At his latest run he wasn’t suited by a slow pace and failed to make ground in the run home finishing 11th of 12 runners behind THUNDER BLAZE. DRAGON AIR FORCE is a place chance on his best form.
ENDEARED (Andrea Atzeni) is drawn well and comes off a strong win last start over 1400m on turf but is yet to win at six runs on the All Weather. LOCH TAY (Richard Kingscote) was a winner over this course and trip in November and can improve on recent runs coming back to the All Weather.
SO YOU WILL (Alexis Badel) caught the eye last start when fourth to WIN BEAUTY VIVA at Happy Valley and is making his race debut on the surface, as is PACKING FIGHTER (Keith Yeung) who has been just behind the placegetters in recent starts. Both can run well.
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