ARE WE WATCHING HONG KONG’S FIRST CHAMPION CHINESE JOCKEY?
What would be a real game changer in every game changing way for Hong Kong the city, Hong Kong racing and for what is still known as the Hong Kong Jockey Club is for the city’s most popular pastime activity to FINALLY have a born in Hong Kong Chinese champion jockey.
Let’s not forget that the great Tony Cruz will always be a Hong Kong born champion international rider who is, however, Macanese- meaning that he was born in the former Portuguese enclave of Macau.
Hong Kong-China need bragging rights, especially in today’s competitive world and what can be considered sports events, having a champion Chinese jockey couldn’t be introduced at a better time.
It’s possible global front page news and the only rider with the necessary talent to meet these requirements today is 26 year old Jerry Chau.
Chau has had a surreal “mystery train” journey in Hong Kong- a last minute replacement for fellow apprentice Gary Lo, indentured to the stable of Douglas Whyte,the great South African and champion Hong Kong jockey for thirteen consecutive seasons, who is now busy building up his profile as a world class trainer.
The Whyte-Lo-Lo-Whyte combination jumped out of the barriers as if there was no tomorrow until the partnership seemed to hit a bump and split with the once in-demand Jerry Chau barely able to get a ride on a merry go round.
Bogged down by suspensions for careless riding, one of the very few stables that gave him any rides was that of the now retired Benno Yung, pictured below.
The talent was there, but the rides from an influential name like Douglas Whyte dried up, and the usual games of Chinese whispers and the racing rumour mill becoming unhinged made Jerry Chau look like a man without a country.
Over the past two years, however, the winds of change have swept his way starting with Mark Newnham using the riding talents of Jerry Chau.
This support for Chau by the well respected Newnham was the seal of approval needed for the young Chinese jockey to start to be noticed again- and securing rides with real winning chances and not just going around carrying tickets and to drop a few rating points.
Among his new supporters was Tony Cruz, someone who is extremely particular about who he uses for his owners and their equine investments.
Maybe it was the feng shui?
It was no surprise to see a re-energised and inspired Jerry Chau win the annual Tony Cruz Award given last year to the season’s most successful local born jockey.
This was almost a warm embrace back into the fold and with the Hong Kong Chinese rider adding to his portfolio by winning for relatively new Western trainers to Hong Kong in David Eustace and, below, James Cummings.
As Mark Newnham pointed out, very few could have won on his charge Lucky Sam Gor which came from around sixth at Happy Valley recently with less than a hundred metres from home to win going away.
With the local racing media currently all over new female apprentices Britney Wong and Nichola Yuen like a rash, Jerry Chau has the breathing space to chart his own course.
When he receives his presentation as Hong Kong's champion jockey, let’s hope that it’s not one of those usual dull as dishwasher events that start somewhere around the place and end up nowhere.
What a fantastic photo opportunity it would be if this award was presented to Jerry Chau somewhere other than the usual place with those ladies in blue who remind me of air stewardesses by leading Hong Kong Chinese actor Tony Leung, below, or if one were to keep it in the horse racing world, the presentation were to be made by Ryan Moore.
While we’re on the subject of photo opportunities…
Horse racing often skips a beat when it comes to reaching the all-important mainstream market.
Maybe racing clubs don’t know how?
Look at the difference dear old Robbie Williams made to the entire vibe of Melbourne Cup Day. He was the glue that bound.
Seeing the extremely charming and effusive Saffie Osborne in Hong Kong this week and thinking of her and the likeable Oisin Murphy photographed with my favourite person in the whole world- Award
winning Irish Actress and fantastic singer Jessie Buckley- might not “sell” horse racing, but the interest and curiosity factor would definitely be there.
This is the strategic marketing I have very rarely seen in the business of promoting horse racing, especially in Hong Kong.
In what was once “Asia’s world city”, it’s all become a weird Shenzhen mashup being introduced to a confused audience.
The Cool Factor and Fun Factor have got fogged up in trying to be all things that no one appears to be sure about instead of being ONE aspirational and inspirational thing that resonates with the type of audience that is accepting of change.
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