James Orman is riding a wave of confidence as he heads to Happy Valley on Wednesday night, 7 January, with four mounts in a competitive nine-race programme. Fresh from a contract extension keeping him in Hong Kong through the season, the Australian jockey is eager to continue building on a strong start.
“I’ve had a fairly good beginning, so I just need to keep the ball rolling,” Orman said. “Being able to stay here for the rest of the season is fantastic. I’m grateful to The Hong Kong Jockey Club and my focus is simply to keep getting winners.”
Orman has already notched six victories from his last 37 rides, raising his seasonal tally to 12 after 34 of 88 scheduled fixtures. Standing tall at 177cm, the 28-year-old now boasts 25 career wins in Hong Kong since first arriving for a six-week introductory stint last February.
“Riding here is more competitive,” he added. “The racing itself is fast and tight, but the small pool of riders makes every ride a challenge.”
Orman will partner Superb Guy (123lb) in the Class 4 Hong Kong Club Challenge Cup Handicap over 1650m. A four-year-old trained by Francis Lui, Superb Guy has yet to race with Orman aboard but impressed during Monday’s trackwork at Sha Tin, covering the dirt course in 54.4 seconds.
“I rode him in trackwork and he felt good,” Orman said. “He ran a nice third last time, and the good gate at Happy Valley will help.”
Superb Guy has placed third twice from seven starts, while Lui, 66, is closing in on a remarkable 1,000 Hong Kong wins—a milestone reached by only a handful of trainers, including John Moore, John Size, Tony Cruz, Caspar Fownes, and Ricky Yiu.
Orman also takes the ride on Another Zonda (123lb) in the Class 3 Des Voeux Handicap (1650m). “I’ve won on Another Zonda before,” Orman said. “Barrier 10 isn’t ideal, but he can race on speed and stay around the mark. He ran well in the International Jockeys’ Championship, and this race looks a bit easier for him.”
Fellow contracted rider Richard Kingscote will feature on Loch Tay (128lb) in the same Des Voeux Handicap for David Eustace, who is nearing his 50th Hong Kong win. Kingscote expressed optimism about the horse’s form and gate five draw.
France’s Maxime Guyon leads a six-strong team, aiming for a hat-trick with Corleone (120lb) in the Des Voeux Handicap, while Jerry Chau reunites with two-time winner Flying Wrote (134lb) in the Class 4 Jackson Handicap (1200m).
Wednesday’s nine-race Happy Valley card begins at 6.40pm with the Class 5 Murray Handicap (1800m), promising a night of swift action, tight racing, and plenty of jockey intrigue.
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