A grateful Keagan De Melo will wave goodbye to Hong Kong racing on Sunday and is hoping to end his stint on a high when he rides Shanwah and Baby Crystal at Sha Tin.
The South African will have his final rides in the city at the behind-closed-doors fixture and he is hoping to add to his tally of 33 winners gained over the last two seasons.
Although it has been a tough end to his stint, with the 32-year-old yet to get off the mark this campaign, he looks back fondly on a year that saw him secure his first Group winner in the city aboard Copartner Prance in the Group Three Premier Cup (1,400m), while being candid about the challenges he has faced.
“I’m excited for what the future holds. Most people when they leave Hong Kong become better riders and I hope to take that experience home with me,” said De Melo.
“Generally my stay was really good, obviously it’s been tough to get support in the last eight months but to get a Group Three was a good send off. Of course, every winner is special, but getting that win was probably the cherry on top.
“When you’re racing in Hong Kong, you’re competing against some of the best jockeys in the world and at the moment, there’s a lot of people on the roster and trying to get rides was an uphill battle every single day.”
It was not just the on-track action that was a positive experience for De Melo, who also managed to enjoy extra time with his family alongside the racing.
“If I look past the racing, one of the highlights has been the time I’ve been able to spend with family,” said De Melo. “I never had much family time back home and I’ve been able to spend a lot of time with my kids and my wife, and socialise too.
“I’ve had a great time, I’ve built some great relationships and the Hong Kong Jockey Club has been great to me and my family – I can’t thank them enough.”
De Melo will be hoping that Shanwah, who is entered in the Group One Hong Kong Cup (2,000m), can be part of a farewell double in the Class Two 1,600m Turf Handicap.
“I don’t know the horse well, so I’m going to have to go on what Douglas [Whyte] says and he thinks he’s a nice horse and he has bigger plans for him down the line,” said De Melo.
He will also reunite with Baby Crystal in the Class Two 1,000m Turf Handicap, with the pair last seen finishing a strong third over 1,200m despite a wide gate.
“He had a wide barrier and a tougher run last time. He’s come out of the run exceptionally well and his trial into this race was really good,” De Melo said of the four-time course and distance winner, who makes his stable debut for Brett Crawford on Sunday.
Replacing the outgoing De Melo will be French ace Maxime Guyon, who is having his second stint in Hong Kong after a brilliant winter campaign in the 2010-11 season that saw him ride 15 winners.
The 36-year-old has five rides on his first meeting, with Lucky Plus, Island Golden, Glaciated, Pearl Of Pang’s and Uranus Star all getting his services.
A dual winner of the Hong Kong Vase aboard Flintshire in 2014 and Junko in 2023, Guyon already impressed in the city and will be hoping to make his mark in a fiercely competitive weighing room.
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