Collett’s Hong Kong return: From tourist to Group 1 contender

It’s taken Sydney jockey Jason Collett more than a decade to make his return to Hong Kong, but this time he is on business and not pleasure.

The 34-year-old expatriate New Zealander has been booked to ride four-year-old Giovanni in the HK$30 million G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (26 April) for trainer Haruki Sugiyama.

Collett made his first trip to Hong Kong in 2012 when he accompanied fellow Kiwi Gareth McRae, who had broken in the New Zealand-bred Fay Fay, which was competing in the Hong Kong Derby (2000m) for trainer John Size.

“When I was in New Zealand, I had a friend who used to ‘prep’ horses for an owner there and the horse, ridden by Douglas Whyte, won the Derby,” he said. “The owners offered to shout us over there. I stayed there for a week and it was basically just touristy stuff I did.

“I had only been riding raceday for about three years and I went over for that trip with them to experience the Derby and I thought, ‘Wow, this is amazing’.”

Collett said he had received offers to ride in Hong Kong before, but that for personal reasons, including a young family, the timing had never been suitable.

“It should be a good experience, and I have never ridden there before, so I’m looking forward to it,” Collett said. “I’m looking at going to Japan to ride in the winter.

“This horse will race in some Group 2s and Group 3s when I’m over there, so they felt (I could) have a ride on him beforehand.”

Collett admits Sunday’s race, where Giovanni will take on champion Romantic Warrior and the likes of Group 1 winner Masquerade Ball, looms as a big challenge.

He said it was difficult to line up the form against some of the other runners in the field, and while he respected the form of several runners, he described Romantic Warrior as an elite competitor.

“I will learn more as the time gets closer, I would say,” Collett said.

Collett served part of his apprenticeship with Sydney trainer Chris Waller and rode champion mare Winx in the first two of her 37 victories.

“It’s cool to look back on and say that I was able to be part of that to some degree,” he said.

Collett arrives in Hong Kong in top form after riding Changingoftheguard to victory in the G1 Sydney Cup (3200m), and last Saturday at Randwick had success on Asterix in the G3 JRA Plate (2000m) and was second on Lazzura in the G1 All Aged Stakes (1400m).

His young family will accompany him during his stint in Japan, and he says he is open to further opportunities in Hong Kong.