Group 1-winning jockeys Luke Currie and Daniel Moor have jumped at the opportunity ride in Hong Kong having been granted licences by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) to compete there for the remainder of the 2021-2022 racing season.
With the likes of Zac Purton, among others, on the sidelines through injury, the HKJC canvassed interest in Currie and Moor in December to bolster the local ranks.
At 40-years of age, Currie thought the days for these chances coming his way were likely to have passed by.
“It is very exciting,” Currie, who has won 13 Group 1 races in Australia, told RSN.
“It is definitely going to be a challenge and one of the biggest challenges I’ve had, I’d say.
“Anyone that has ridden there seems to have come back and improved as riders.
“It is something that I’ve always wanted to do but I probably thought that I had missed my oppoprtunity.”
37-year-old Moor notched his first Australian Group 1 winner last September aboard Sierra Sue in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) and this Hong Kong venture follows successful stints in Singapore and Malaysia.
“Before I left for Singapore I was in reasonable form and we’ve been able take that to a new level last year which is good,” Moor told SENTrack
“Racing jurisdictions in Asia don’t chase you when you’re going average so even though you lose your momentum at home there are the bright opportunities abroad.”
Currie and Moor will leave for Hong Kong on Sunday and will complete a mandatory three weeks quarantine period.
They are aiming to begin race riding in early February.
