HONG KONG RACING: THE CONTINUED SUCCESS OF THE LOCAL TRAINERS – BUT HOW DO THEY KEEP DOING IT?

By Darren Winningham | Tuesday, April 23, 2024

WINNO caught up with the Executive Director of Racing of the HKJC, Mr. Andrew Harding for an insight into the success and dominance of the local Hong Kong Chinese trainers.

With four of the five leading trainers currently Chinese local trainers in the current year – one must question how the dominance occurs and the shift from the expat overseas trainers dominating the HJKC training premierships for the past ten years.

Andrew Harding reminded me that, “It’s not confined to just this season; we have seen it over the past three or four seasons. It is the result of a long-term strategy and a system that we (HKJC) have developed to develop local talent.”

“It is very important to us (HKJC) that we develop local talent. That has been one of the purposes of when we bring in an overseas trainer, who is a champion in their own country. In addition to providing fantastic services to our owner’s part of the system is that a Chinese local prospective trainer is mentored by these trainers.”

Harding goes on to identify the recent proven success of this unique mentoring program in place by the progressive HKJC. “An example is Pierre Ng. Pierre spent that time with Paul O’Sullivan, champion New Zealand trainer. Frankie Lor spent time with John Size.”

“There is no question about what we see in the skills of the local trainers. It has been a knowledge transfer and it has been a long-term building up of their abilities.”

If we go back five years – expat trainers like John Moore, John Size, Casper Fownes, and Paul O’Sullivan dominated. The tide has now turned.

The success of this program is now being seen in the results on the track and through the current HKJC trainer’s premiership.

Not only is the talent being developed within the training ranks it is extended into the Chinese local jockey ranks as well. Harding said, “we have done it with the jockeys; you can see the evidence with Vincent Ho, Derek Leung, Matthew Chadwick, and Matthew Poon.

“It is very important to us (HKJC) that we have people in each of the streams. Apprentice jockeys are very important. Some of them will never progress to the next stage which is to be stationed overseas. Some will go back into the stable system and become track riders. Some will ride overseas and then the HKJC will decide whether they can ride here at the elite level or go back into the local system.”

There has been a provision for all participants to remain active in the HKJC structure. The latest example of this is Ben So who was a jockey and retired from riding in 2020. An impressive record as well when he retired with 153 career wins in Hong Kong.

Harding takes up the story, “Ben So is another good example of our system. Ben is different as he is in with Danny Shum. Although I said earlier that the design is to place local trainers with overseas expat trainers. Such has been the success of the system that the quality of our trainers here can now achieve these results with our local trainers such as Tony Cruz and Danny Shum.”

“This is a unique extension of the system where Ben is now training with Danny Shum. “

Ben So partnered the Hong Kong Champion Romantic Warrior for his 2023 W.S.Cox Plate victory. In his first trip overseas, he managed the horse and got the desired result.

Harding goes on to say, “We invest heavily in our assistant trainers. We send them overseas for sales. Partnering them with mentor trainers. Conghua experience – to be successful they need to know how to manage and operate a stable daily. “

“It is something that has now come to fruition.”

“When we decided to build Conghua. Again, it is a fusion you are taking talent from overseas and talent from Hong Kong. We opened Conghua in 2019. But in 2012 we extended training operations into the mainland of China, so we had a six-year lead time where we were taking what HKJC developed as a vocational curriculum and developing it in the mainland.

"We are now at the point now where two thirds of the workforce in the stables at Conghua and people the HJKC has developed, and these people will now enter the ranks as assistant trainers here in Hong Kong.”

There are around 1200 staff employed by the HKJC – with around 900 based in Hong Kong and 300 at Conghua.

The final word from Harding has a targeted message that is the ethos of the HJKC, “It is part of our DNA to develop talent.”

The HKJC does it seamlessly and successfully. Racing jurisdictions across the world could look at this program and formulate programs to reap the rewards in their own racing ranks.

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