Vincent Ho has endured a difficult past 12 months but the affable homegrown jockey is eager to rebound this season.
Two falls interrupted Ho’s 2023/24 campaign in Hong Kong – a mishap in Japan which fractured his spine and then a second at Sha Tin. Ho finished with a creditable 41 wins, well below the 96 he rode in 2022/23, which netted staggering earnings of HK$160.2 million. It was also the first time since 2017/18 that Ho has dipped below the 50-win mark in a season.
Ho only had 355 starts last term. Since 2012/13, he has never had less than 400 mounts, although victories in the 2023 LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship and 2023 G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) would have sweetened a challenging stretch.
“I’m definitely targeting more improvement than last season, which wasn’t an easy season, but that’s the risk we take as jockeys. I’m always looking to do the best I can,” Ho said.
Ho relished another experience-building offseason in Europe and Japan, honing his craft at a range of overseas arenas such as Goodwood, Pontefract, Dusseldorf and Sapporo.
“There’s always more to be learnt when it comes to riding horses. Riding overseas is very different to here, even the routine and racing environment. I had a good experience, lots of driving which was pretty tiring but it was great,” Ho said.
Ho receives strong support from two powerful stables in Hong Kong, Francis Lui and Caspar Fownes, although the 34-year-old feels a title push is a few seasons away.
“Hopefully one day. It’s not easy and you need almost every stable over the season supporting you, which is very difficult,” Ho said.