After Kei Chiong Ka-kei reached a personal milestone by losing her 10-pound claim yesterday, legendary local jockey and current trainer Tony Cruz said the apprentice can continue her great form and be crowned leading local rider in her rookie season.
Last season the champion apprentice award was scrapped in favour of acknowledging the leading local jockey and Chiong is riding a wave of momentum that has seen her surge into contention for the honour.
Chiong won on her first ever ride for Cruz, displaying the toughness and tenacity that has become something of a trademark for the 23-year-old, fighting back in a close finish on Multiexpress to bring up a double.
The leading apprentice had already won on Supreme Profit for Danny Shum Chap-shing, the double giving her seven wins from the past four meetings and, more importantly, 20 for her career and a reduction of her claim.
“She will only have seven pounds now, but I think she can keep going and riding winners and I think she can be the leading local rider this season,” Cruz said, with Chiong closing to within three wins of Keith Yeung Ming-lun and two of Derek Leung Ka-chun with just 18 meetings to go in the term.
“She is obviously very strong, but what I like is that she is straightforward, listens carefully and follows instructions.”
The highest praise to come from both Cruz and Shum is that Hong Kong racing’s golden girl is “more in demand than Joao Moreira”.
“Man, she is hard to book for a ride,” Cruz said. “That’s why maybe it will get a little bit easier now that she has seven, but I don’t think so. Horses really travel for her, and that is something you can’t teach.”
Chiong showed good initiative on Supreme Profit when she allowed her horse to stride forward after being trapped wide early and then pinched a race-winning break approaching the turn.
“That’s what the 10 pounds can do,” Shum said. “This horse ran fourth off a mark of 84 in Class Two this season, he is down to 77 so the claim makes it like he is running off 67 - he can be very competitive there.”
Chiong said she wasn’t setting any concrete goals around the number of wins she wanted to ride this season but was thrilled to have snared a double on such a big day and is ready for the next challenge.
“I’ve still got a lot of rides for the meeting coming up, I think the trainers are happy with how I am riding so I hope I keep getting support,” she said.
