3 minute read
Hong Kong star Vincent Ho will be bidding to claim Goodwood Festival success next week as the jockey begins a short fortnight period riding in the UK.
The 2010 Hong Kong Champion Apprentice is best known for his association with the superstar Golden Sixty although has also enjoyed top-level success onboard Loves Only You in the 2021 Queen Elizabeth II Cup.
Golden Sixty has established himself as one of the greatest horses in Hong Kong history with nine Group 1 victories and Ho, who has partnered the four-time Champions Mile winner in all 29 career outings, is full of admiration for the horse he believes has helped put him on the map.
"I'm privileged to ride him and I'm still learning every day from him" explained Ho.
"He's a superstar as a horse and an athlete. He's very popular in Hong Kong and he has definitely helped me get recognition around the world.
"To be able to ride a Japanese horse in Loves Only You to win a QEII or now coming to Goodwood and the Shergar Cup, Golden Sixty has brought me a lot of opportunities like this."
The 33-year-old is keen to make the most of a short break in the Hong Kong calendar and believes a trip to the Sussex Downs venue will certainly aid his aim to become a better jockey and horseman.
"I wanted to come to Goodwood, and I've never been there before. To be able to ride such a beautiful track, it will feel amazing to be there and involved."
"I will be doing my best to get a winner, that would be great. But if not, it will still be a great experience for me to become a better jockey and horseman. Whatever the result I'm sure I will enjoy it."
"Most tracks around the world are built by a human, while UK tracks are around the hills and more natural," explained Ho.
"So, the grounding is very different. It's uphill, downhill, left, right and lots of variety.
"It can help make you a much better jockey because you have to trust your own feelings on the horse to know when to pick them up and go to try and win races.
"Of course, you also need to know the tracks really well. The UK can have four weathers in one day and a lot can be affected by the weather and how the ground is. So, there is a lot of uncertainty you have to deal with in a short space of time.
"You could also be riding horses that I haven't seen or touched before and it's completely different to Hong Kong and Japan where you would get to ride them in track work in the days before and get familiar with how they ride."
He added: "I'm sure it will be very hard to get rides and I'm not sure how many rides I will get at the moment, but hopefully I will be able to have a few.
"I know a lot of trainers, but they wouldn't know me. I've worked a few years for Mr [Mark] Johnston and hopefully, I will be able to get on some."
Ho rode six winners from twenty-two rides for Mark Johnston in his most recent visit in 2019 and the Hong Kong native rider plans to link up with Kingsley Park after Goodwood. It's a trip that will
proceed a second bite at Ascot's Shergar Cup, where Ho partnered Marcus Tregoning's Power Of Darkness to success to help give the Rest Of The World team victory back in 2019.
"After Goodwood, I'm going to go up to Mr Johnston's stables to ride out in the morning and also, I'm not sure, but I might have some rides in midweek. That would be great.
"It will then be my second time in the Shergar Cup at Ascot and I'm looking forward to it. It is a dream to ride at Ascot for every jockey, I think.
"I was at the Shergar Cup in 2019 and it was a rainy and windy day, but it was still amazing to ride there.
"It just felt different to anywhere, even Sha Tin or Flemington. I just felt Ascot has this very different vibe and having watched Royal Ascot and the King George on TV back in Hong Kong it was a dream to ride there and be able to win on a horse there. It was really enjoyable."
The addition of Vincent Ho to the Qatar Goodwood Festival will certainly be beneficial to the World Pool, which will be in action from Tuesday to Thursday with plenty of punters tuning in from Hong Kong.
