Hong Kong-based jockey Keagan de Melo returns to his home country armed with a full book of rides on Champions Cup Day at Greyville on Sunday.

After booting home 21 winners in his first Hong Kong campaign, De Melo will be back in action with 10 rides including eight for trainers’ championship leader, Justin Snaith.

“I’m very glad to see Keagan here,” Snaith said.

“Keagan’s a very consistent rider. He’s certainly a jockey that’s riding so well in Hong Kong. I think all of us here in South Africa, it’s nice to see the jockeys coming back to their roots and making the effort to race here.”

South Africa’s reigning champion jockey, De Melo will go head-to-head with the 2023-24 champion elect Richard Fourie, who created history by becoming the first jockey to ride 335 winners in a season in South Africa.

Fourie, who rode 36 winners in two seasons in Hong Kong, achieved the feat last month and broke legendary South African rider Anthony Depelch’s record which stood since 1998-99.

De Melo’s Grade One rides on Sunday are unbeaten filly Lock And Key in the Douglas Whyte Stakes (1,600m), Great Plains in the World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes (1,600m), Royal Aussie in the Mercury Sprint (1,200m) and Double Superlative in The HKJC Champions Cup (1,800m).

While Lock And Key has impressed in her two victories, the two-year-old faces a big task against rising star Quid Pro Quo in the race named after Hong Kong’s champion jockey and South African product, Whyte.

Quid Pro Quo is bidding to become the first filly in history to win the unofficial triple crown for juvenile fillies, following her superb victories in the Grade One Alan Robertson Fillies Championship (1,200m) and Grade Two Golden Slipper (1,400m) at her past two starts.

The Grade Three World Pool Gold Cup (3,200m) is one of South Africa’s most coveted races and De Melo teams up with the Snaith-trained One Way Traffic, a capable stayer who ran third to Gold Cup favourite Future Pearl two starts ago.

“He stays so well, he’s got a good draw [barrier one] and we really hope he has a bit of luck in running,” Snaith said.

“Keagan’s the right guy for the moment, I think. He’s going to put the horse in the right position.”

Fourie rides Future Pearl, who is bidding to become the first back-to-back Gold Cup victor since Highland Night more than two decades ago.

The Sean Tarry-trained gelding ran on strongly late for sixth in the Durban July (2,200m) last start.

“Future Pearl’s a stunning horse,” Fourie said.

“He’s probably the best stayer around in South Africa at the moment.”

Fourie is also excited to ride Lucky Lad in the Mercury Sprint, but the brilliant winner at seven of 11 starts will have to overcome a wide draw in barrier 13.

“He’s a Group One champion and obviously he’s contending from a bad draw, but he’s still a live chance and he can make up the ground,” Fourie said.

All 10 races at Greyville will be offered for betting by the Jockey Club, with the first run at 6.05pm Hong Kong time. Sunday’s simulcast offering also includes two races from Germany - the Group One Grosser Preis Bayerisches Zuchtrennen (2,000m) and HKJC World Pool Handicap (2,000m).