There will be no short-term Hong Kong stint for Joao Moreira in 2025, with the Jockey Club declaring the riding roster full for the first half of the season.
While trainer Caspar Fownes had stated his intentions to bring Moreira back to Hong Kong as his stable rider from October to December, the Jockey Club confirmed on Thursday that “there is no availability for retained jockeys”.
After announcing on Wednesday that James McDonald, Hollie Doyle, Maxime Guyon and Dylan Browne McMonagle will spend varying amounts of time in Hong Kong from November to March, Jockey Club executive manager of licensing, Terry Bailey, said in a statement on Thursday that any jockey eyeing a stable role would have to wait.
“Having regard to the roster of jockeys already licensed for the first half of the 2025-26 racing season, the club has determined that there is no availability for retained jockeys over this period,” said the statement.
“Applications for retained jockeys for a period of the 2025-26 racing season after February 17, 2026 should be submitted to the executive manager, licensing by December 1, 2025.”
