Karis Teetan will begin his 14th full-time season in Hong Kong at Sha Tin on Sunday, September 6, with the Mauritian rider looking to carry the strong momentum that marked the closing weeks of last season.
Karis Teetan returns to Hong Kong.
The 36-year-old ended the previous campaign in fine form, recording 14 victories from the final 11 meetings and finishing the season with 52 wins, good enough for fourth place in the jockeys’ championship.
His latest campaign was not among his three biggest seasons by winners, but it included a productive finish and three Group 3 victories. Teetan had previously registered 93 wins in 2019/20, 86 in 2023/24 and 84 in 2018/19.
He has now reached 50 wins in a season nine times and is only 15 victories away from 800 career wins in Hong Kong. Only Tony Cruz, Zac Purton, Douglas Whyte, Joao Moreira and Brett Prebble have previously reached that mark.
Teetan’s immediate focus will be on getting the new season moving in the right direction, rather than setting a specific target for the number of winners.
One of his key rides on Sunday will be Patch Of Stars, who returns to competition in the HK$4.2 million HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap over 1200 metres.
The race is scheduled as the third event on the Sha Tin programme at 1.30pm.
Patch Of Stars made significant progress last season, moving from Class 3 company to Group 3 level and establishing a reputation as one of the more promising young sprinters in Hong Kong.
The five-year-old has won seven of 17 starts and enters the new campaign with a career-high rating of 107. The Manfred Man-trained runner also has form against established Group performers, having defeated Raging Raging Blizzard and Lucky With You last season.
The challenge on Sunday will be particularly demanding, with Ka Ying Rising among the leading names in the field. Patch Of Stars, however, will carry a light weight, a factor that could give Teetan and his mount an opportunity to make their presence felt.
Patch Of Stars has already shown that the rise in class has not been beyond reach. The manner of his Sha Tin Vase Handicap victory in May was particularly encouraging, while his preparation for the new campaign has also gone smoothly.
In his latest barrier trial on August 21, Patch Of Stars finished sixth after settling towards the rear. Teetan was aboard for the trial, which was conducted over the Sha Tin dirt course in rain-affected conditions, with the gelding recording 1m 13.02s.
Sunday’s race will also feature Copartner Prance, Tomodachi Kokoroe, Lucky With You and Magic Control, setting up a competitive test for the returning Patch Of Stars.
For Teetan, the meeting carries a wider significance. The rider is closing in on the 800-win milestone in Hong Kong, while his late-season surge last year has provided a strong platform for the campaign ahead.
The first race at Sha Tin is scheduled for 12.30pm, with admission beginning at 10.30am. Teetan will hope the new season begins in much the same fashion as the old one ended.
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