Horse Racing
Season
Jerry Chau keen for South Korea challenge with Chancheng Glory and Self Improvement

By Declan Schuster
04/09/2025 14:08

Jerry Chau works Chancheng Glory at Seoul.
Jerry Chau works Chancheng Glory at Seoul.

Jerry Chau is excited to broaden his horizons when he rides for the first time at Seoul in South Korea on Sunday afternoon (7 September) aboard Hong Kong raiders Chancheng Glory and Self Improvement.

Chau has ridden 173 winners in Hong Kong, including one at Group 2 level aboard Lucky Patch in 2021. He’s well-versed in racing in Australia, riding 77 winners Down Under as part of his overseas training with trainers Leon MacDonald & Andrew Gluyas in Adelaide. After returning to Hong Kong in 2020, the youngster partnered 58 winners through his first full season – a record for an apprentice jockey.

Chau, 25, is proud to represent hometown connections abroad for the second time after partnering Duke Wai into fifth in Dubai’s 2023 G1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m): “It’s my honour to represent The Hong Kong Jockey Club as well as the owners and trainers. I really appreciate it. I am very excited.”

Seoul’s unique racecourse is a deep sand-based surface with plenty of kickback. Racing is run left-handed, opposite to both Sha Tin and Happy Valley, with a testing home straight which runs for 400m. Chancheng Glory contests the G3 Korea Cup (1800m, sand) from barrier two and Self Improvement faces the G3 Korea Sprint (1200m, sand) drawn in gate seven.

Chau, who rode both horses in trackwork at Seoul this morning (Thursday, 4 September), has leaned on the experience of jockeys Karis Teetan and Vincent Ho in preparation for Sunday.

“It looks like it’s raining this weekend (in Seoul). Hopefully, the horses handle it. I spoke to Karis – he won the Korea Sprint with Super Jockey. He told me to just let the horse roll and not to stop his rhythm,” Chau said.

“I also asked Vincent about the track. He said it’s quite deep and the same thing, keep the horse rolling and don’t stop them. I don’t think Self Improvement likes too much kickback, so I think I will keep him open and not get too much cover, so that way I can avoid too much kickback.”

Jerry Chau and Self Improvement make their way around Seoul.
Jerry Chau and Self Improvement make their way around Seoul.

Group 3 winner Chancheng Glory – an American-bred son of Mor Spirit – is yet to race on dirt in Hong Kong, while Self Improvement has won four times over 1200m on the dirt at Sha Tin.

Francis Lui trains Chancheng Glory, while Manfred Man saddles Self Improvement. Discussing Chancheng Glory, Chau said: “He’s picked up his fitness after his trials. I galloped him before he went to South Korea and his form is getting better. I hope he can handle the track – I think he has a chance. This is a good distance for him.”

Hong Kong-trained runners have made 10 previous attempts in South Korea. Super Jockey, the first to try for former trainer Tony Millard, won the Korea Sprint with ease in 2016. Fight Hero was second in the 2018 Korea Sprint, while no Hong Kong galloper has placed in the Korea Cup yet.

The most recent effort from Hong Kong came via trainer Pierre Ng in 2023, saddling Duke Wai (fourth in the Korea Sprint) and Apache Pass (ninth in the Korea Cup). Both the Korea Cup and Korea Sprint offer free entry into the 2025 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar in California, the United States of America.

“There are no American horses which is good news, so we have more of a chance,” Chau said, also respecting the strong Japanese representation of Ramjet, Dura Erede and Diktaean in the Korea Cup as well as Chikappa, Sunrise Hawk and Tagano Beauty in the Korea Sprint.

The likes of Success Baekpa (Korea Cup) and Vincero Cavallo (Korea Sprint) lead the home side’s defence.