Newly-crowned Hong Kong champion apprentice jockey Matthew Poon is back at Kranji and for a slightly longer term this time, keen as ever to do as well and absorb as much as he can.
Last year, Poon – who earned the “Poon Train” nickname during his apprenticeship with Richard Jolly in Adelaide where he rode 117 winners from 2015 to 2017 – roared through Kranji like a bullet train scooping up six winners in a two-week blitz, including a first career Group win in the Group 3 Garden City Trophy (1200m) with Faaltless.
While Poon then came as the Dux of the South Australian Jockeys’ Academy under the auspices of the joint agreement between the Singapore Turf Club and Thoroughbred Racing South Australia, it is the Hong Kong Jockey Club who is behind his second stint from July 25 till August 13 (three weeks) this time around.
The likeable young man will ride at five meetings, one more than last year, and is already booked for two rides at his first meeting on Friday – Abebe for Shane Baertschiger, again his master during the Kranji stay, and Enchanted Mister for Lee Freedman.
Kranji fans are bound to expect another stellar performance – if not better than last year’s – but Poon, just like at his first visit, is coming in with the same eagerness to add one more tick to his learning curve.
“Of course, I hope to do as well as last time, but I have not set myself any target, like how many winners I hope to have, and so on,” said the 24-year-old rider who landed in Singapore on Wednesday.
“What I would like to achieve, though, is to have more trainers support me. Not many knew me last year, but I hope it’ll be easier to get rides this time, now that I’ve ridden here already.
“Hopefully, my longer stay will also help me get more rides. The Hong Kong Jockey Club apprentice school wanted me to stay for three weeks to spend more time here.
“That’s why I came up earlier (last year he began on August 4). When I go back home, it will give me enough time to ride in trackwork and trials before the Hong Kong season starts again on September 2.”
Poon can only hope the Kranji working holiday during the Hong Kong racing break springboards him to yet another career feat. Last year, he went on to win his first Hong Kong champion apprentice jockey title at his very first season, on 35 winners, 10 clear of his runner-up, Dylan Mo.
“It’s been a very good season in Hong Kong with 35 winners whereas last year, I won around 20,” he said.
“That helped me win my first Hong Kong champion apprentice title. It wasn’t my first title as I also won the South Australian metropolitan champion apprentice jockey title two seasons back (2015/2016).
“I’m very proud of my Hong Kong title as it’s been a personal goal of mine.”
A winner of more than 170 races all-up, Poon was at Kranji on Thursday morning with Baertschiger and assistant-trainer Scott Bailey – but without any riding gear on.
“Once my work permit is cleared, hopefully, today, I should be able to ride trackwork tomorrow,” he said.
“I don’t know my two rides for Friday. I will just listen to the trainers’ instructions and try my best.”
Not much different from his mantra last year. It led to six winners and a punters’ pal tag.
