Britney Wong will become the latest apprentice to make the most of a pathway into Hong Kong racing via a well-established partnership between the Hong Kong Jockey Club and Racing SA.
Beyond the obvious impact of numerous decorated jockeys on Hong Kong racing, a mostly unheralded Australian influence is taking hold in the world’s most competitive riding arena.
Zac Purton, who has just claimed his seventh Hong Kong jockeys’ premiership, and Hugh Bowman are Australians who are currently household names in the cut and thrust of Hong Kong’s riding ranks.
Before then, retired champions such as Darren Beadman and Brett Prebble found fame in the heartland of Asian racing while building Australia’s reputation for producing world-class jockeys.
However, another facet of the Australian industry is emerging as an essential pathway for jockeys who want to make a living in Hong Kong.
A long way removed from the glamour and intensity synonymous with the Hong Kong thoroughbred scene, South Australia’s racetracks are developing the next generation of jockeys hoping to make a name for themselves in their homeland.
For almost a decade, apprentice jockeys who survive a rigorous Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) selection process have been learning to hone their skills at places such as Penola and Mount Gambier.
Established Hong Kong jockey Matthew Poon was a trailblazer as the first to graduate from a Racing SA and HKJC partnership that was formed in 2015.
But now the arrangement is on the verge of an even more significant breakthrough as Britney Wong prepares for her Hong Kong riding debut next season.
Wong, attached to trainer Jon O’Connor’s stable in Adelaide during her two years in Australia, will become the first female jockey to ride in Hong Kong on a full-time basis since 2017.
Racing SA’s general manager, Johan Petzer, has no doubt that Wong is ready for the challenges of being a Hong Kong jockey.
“It’s very rare for Hong Kong to have female jockeys riding full-time. So obviously Britney is highly skilled and highly motivated to get as far as what she has here to even be considered,” Petzer told The Straight.
“But we were always confident that Britney was going to be licensed on what she had displayed here locally and how she compared to how some of the others have performed with us.”
Wong rode in more than 600 races during her Australia stay and five of her 50 winners came at a metropolitan level for an overall 8 per cent strike-rate.
“That’s fairly reasonable for a young person starting out,” Petzer said. “I think those stats alone show that she’s highly dedicated and motivated.”
Wong will join jockeys Angus Chung, Jerry Chau, Ellis Wong, Alfred Chan and Poon on the Hong Kong roster as riders who used their time in South Australia to launch their Hong Kong careers.
Chung enjoyed a breakout season in 2023/24, riding 46 winners to finish fifth in the premiership.
Collectively, SA graduates secured 17 per cent of all the Hong Kong rides available during the season.
“When you consider the likes of some of the jockeys that are riding there currently, and the calibre of those riders and the demand for those riders - for these young apprentices to secure that many rides is a huge plus,” Petzer said.
The HKJC can receive more than 100 applicants for trainee positions, but the intake is small. Even before an apprentice enters the HKJC system, it says a lot about ambition.
“The young individuals we’ve had, without fail, every single one of them are concerned with being professional and being dedicated,” Petzer said.
“They’re respectful and they're highly driven to be successful, to become a jockey riding in Hong Kong.
“They know why they’re coming here and they know what they’re aiming for and what they’re going back for. They value the opportunity they’ve been given.”
Racing SA’s jockey coach Dean Pettit says HKJC’s brief is simple: ensure an apprentice has every chance to reach a standard that allows them to return as members of Hong Kong’s famed riding ranks.
Trainers such as O’Connor have been an invaluable help in mentoring overseas apprentices.
Matt Stewart
And there is always the wisdom and international experience of three-time champion South African jockey Felix Coetzee to call on.
A product of South Africa’s highly regarded jockeys’ academy, Coetzee enjoyed a long Hong Kong career, collecting 75 major wins among more than 3500 victories.
His association with champion Australian-bred sprinter Silent Witness is one of Hong Kong racing’s most successful horse and jockey partnerships.
Coetzee now mentors Hong Kong’s young riders and stays in weekly contact with the apprentices trying to make their way in Australia.
“They are still getting a lot of help from Hong Kong,” Pettit said.
“Felix will call them after a race meeting to go through what he wants them to work on.
“I might touch base with Felix every now and then if they have a little problem or need to work on some technical things.”
It’s all part of what Pettit describes as having the apprentices “Hong Kong ready”.
That usually means the apprentices have worked their way through the SA ranks to the stage in their careers when they mix it with senior jockeys at Morphettville - and riding winners.
One of the non-negotiables is an application to fitness and strength conditioning, and the technical kinks will be ironed out before they return.
“We want to make sure that when they present to Hong Kong that they’re strong, effective and can read a race,” Pettit said.
“I couldn’t imagine being a 21-year-old halfway through my apprenticeship being sent back to Hong Kong and riding against Zac Purton.
“So they certainly want them at a certain level to be marketable for Hong Kong.”
