GlobalRacing : 11 Oct 2006 by Gary Knight
There is nothing more pleasing and a sign of a maturing racing community when you watch the rising number of apprentices that are showing tremendous ability and are being given opportunities commensurate with that ability.
For many years in Asia it has lagged behind the rest of the world in the opportunities given to its apprentices – particularly in Hong Kong where a mix of some of the world’s most competent riders ply their trade and where many owners are fearless and bets in the tens of thousands on their horses are commonplace.
This has led to all erring on the side of the caution and opting to put the leading riders on their horses. But the trend in Hong Kong is being broken big time and in recent months the emergence of jockeys like Terry Yeung, Frankie Tsui, Wei Leung, Terry Wong and Jackie Tong augurs very well for the future of their domestic riding ranks.
Add these boys to the existing smart apprentices of Howard Cheng (who has outridden his claim), Eddie Lai and others and the riding ranks in Hong Kong are going to need less and less international riders as the years progress.
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Kiwi jockey Shane Dye continued his climb back to a successful career in Hongkers when he won on First Among Equals at yesterday’s Shatin meeting at his third meeting back from the horror fall that nearly claimed his life at Shatin only four months back.
The win of First Among Equals continued the amazing run of the Casper Fownes stable in the first few weeks of the season that has seen the trainer in the winner’s circle already more than 10 times.
South African Douglas Whyte and Frenchman Eric St Martin shared riding honours at the meeting with a double a piece.
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South Australian jockey Scott Leckey combined with Victorian trainer Jim Nikolic (brother of successful jockey Danny) to win with Never Give Up at Selangor (Malaysia) yesterday.
Leckey who began his career in Darwin before moving on to Adelaide is a very competent rider and a stint in Asia will only add to his experience.
Local jockeys Din Azis and I. Saifuddin kept their from from Friday night at Kranji in Singapore where both rode winners. Azis one and Saifuddin rode a double.
They both rode another winner each at Selangor yesterday.
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There slim pickings for downunder competitors at the Kranji meeting on Friday night with Aussie trainer John Meagher winning a race with Lim’s Charge (I. Saifuddin) and Kiwi trainer Laurie Laxon winning with Cruso with Aussie jockey Luke Currie in the saddle.
Kiwi jockey Marc Du Plessis teamed with South African trainer Patrick Shaw to land a double at the meeting – taking the last two races with King’s Command and Lucky Lino.
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It seems highly likely that Australian Racing authorities are going to grant Keiran Fallon a license to ride here so he can ride Yeats in the Melbourne Cup.
The on/off/on again trip of the British super stayer has seen some speculation as to who would ride the Aiden O’Brien trained stayer – and many felt that Mick Kinnane, already a Melbourne Cup winner on Vintage Crop and who rode Yeats to win the Goodwood Cup in England this year after Fallon was barred from riding in the UK – would take the mount.
However, as I believe it should be, Fallon is likely to be able to ride here as he has not yet been found guilty of any offences only charged and until the time he is found guilty he cannot be condemned.
The stewards have followed that path in Australia with our own international jockey Chris Munce who is facing court on similar shenanigans in Hong Kong but he has been granted a license to ride in Australia on the condition that he continues to attend the trial hearings in Hong Kong and his license will be revoked if he fails to do so and if he is found guilty of any offence in Hong Kong it will be similarly binding here.
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Aussie jockey Kerrin McEvoy who is about to return home for the Spring Carnival where among his rides will be the Godolphin stayer Imperial Stride in both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, had a bleak day at York yesterday, failing to ride a winner and being beaten on three favourites.
His week was not a total loss as on Friday he won on the 8/1 chance Scriptwriter for Godolphin at York and on Wednesday he landed Navaho Squaw a winner at Nottingham.
Kerrin has had another great season landing 71 winners to date from his 434 rides and this includes another Gr 1 under his belt.
His stats for Godolphin – considering he is their number two rider are outstanding having ridden 15 winners for the stable from just 46 rides.
On the one pound straight on every ride “stat†that the Racing Post conducts punters would be 132 pounds in front on Kerrin for the season to date.
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The feast of Gr 1 races in Australia provided no fairytales and with the exception of Teranaba in the Spring Championship Stakes there were no surprises. They did however stamp some horses as truly outstanding as Racing To Win’s victory in the Espom at Randwick – the first horse to start odds on in the history of the race – over 130 years – was simply sensational in a race not really run to suit him.
The Al Maktoum family’s Tawqeet was impressive in winning the Metropolitan and is now certain to be among the favourites for the Melbourne Cup – the race he was sent to Australia to aim at.
Zipping ran a cracking Caulfield Cup trial when fourth to Sphenophyta in the Turnbull Stakes in Melbourne and the supporting races also unearthed some future Gr 1 winners.
Bentley Biscuit was outstanding first up in The Shorts and has now won 9 of his 12 starts and he will take some halting in the Gr 1 Emorates Stakes on the last day of the Melbourne Cup carnival.
Reigning To Win – owned in the same interests as Racing To Win is also right on target to win a Gr 1 over the Melbourne Carnival – probably the Ascot Vale Stakes and Fast N’Famous stamped himself as Australia’s next Takeover Target when that sprinter retires with a great win in the Gilgai against all the odds.
Contributed by Gary Knight