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| Sumita Pawar |
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When Vincent Ho makes a brief visit to the UK, he dreams of adding a victory at the Qatar Goodwood Festival to his CV.
The Hong Kong jockey is famous for his connection with the superstar Golden Sixty. He has also achieved great success in major races with Japan's Breeders' Cup champion, Loves Only You. In 2021, he rode Loves Only You to victory in the QE II Cup at Sha Tin.
Currently, Ho is taking advantage of a brief break in the Hong Kong racing schedule to ride in the UK for a quick two-week period. He aims to increase his global achievements by competing on the renowned Sussex Downs.
He said, “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.”
He went on, “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.”
Shergar Cup Showdown: Ho Aims For Glory
During his previous visits to the UK in 2018 and 2019, Ho rode a total of seven winners. Most of these winners were provided by Johnston. After the Goodwood event, Ho intends to return to Middleham and continue working with the Kingsley Park operation.
In the final two weeks of his stay, Ho will focus on earning a place in the winner's enclosure at Ascot as he competes in the Shergar Cup for the second time.
World Pool will be active from Tuesday to Thursday at Goodwood, and many punters from Hong Kong will be placing bets.
He continued, “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.”
Ho is sandwiching a four-week period in Japan between his trip to the UK, as he maximizes the limited time available during the Hong Kong off season.
Despite having experience riding all over the world, the 33-year-old particularly cherishes his time in the UK. The tracks there have a distinct nature that allows him to sharpen his skills in horseback riding.
“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.”
In all of his 29 career outings, Ho has been partnered with Francis Lui's Golden Sixty, which has now become one of the most renowned and accomplished horses in the history of Hong Kong racing.
In July, Golden Sixty was once again crowned Hong Kong Horse of the Year for the third consecutive year. After their ninth Group One victory together in the Champions Mile back in April, the jockey cannot speak highly enough of the horse. Ho acknowledges that Golden Sixty has not only elevated his status as a rider but has also presented him with unforeseen opportunities that he never imagined could be possible.
“I’m privileged to ride him and I’m still learning every day from him,” said 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.”