Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges has told Joao Moreira before that Hong Kong “is not a place you can walk in and out of” and it seems there’ll be no red carpet awaiting the Brazilian on his return to the city next week.
That Moreira will face a medical before being passed fit to ride in the Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) isn’t a shock considering the jockey has been out of the saddle for more than two months after undergoing treatment on his hip.
Moreira said himself it was “expected they would want to see if my condition was suitable to ride or not”.
The fact the Jockey Club saw the need to announce it, as well as its plans “to do something special” to celebrate Moreira’s contribution to Hong Kong racing, shows just how keen officials were to get things back on their terms.
On handing in his Hong Kong licence last week and announcing plans to retire, Moreira confirmed he wants to ride on international day to ensure a “proper ending” to his sparkling career in the city.
“I took this opportunity to set up a farewell and express a little bit of love. Not only to those people who helped me out, but also to the club, the public and everyone else who has contributed to my success in Hong Kong,” he said.
The Jockey Club, however, don’t seem to agree that its flagship meeting would be the best time to farewell one of the best jockeys to ever ride in Hong Kong.
It would rather “celebrate his illustrious career” by bringing Moreira and his wife, Taciana, to Hong Kong in January, possibly for the Group One Stewards’ Cup meeting.
It also left the door open for the Magic Man to ride on that day, but whether that idea fits into Moreira’s plans for a farewell tour with stops in the likes of Australia, Japan and Europe remains to be seen.
It promises for an interesting dynamic when Moreira lands next week, and not for the first time.
It was when Moreira was preparing to return from an aborted stint in Japan that Engelbrecht-Bresges told him Hong Kong “is not a place you can walk in and out of”, and he was forced to serve as John Size’s stable jockey for a period before regaining his full licence.
This time it seems Engelbrecht-Bresges has taken umbrage with the Brazilian’s level of communication, saying the club has received “conflicting messages” about Moreira’s fitness and highlighting that “obviously, there is more communication with certain others, than us”.
As it stands, Moreira will ride Japanese raiders Glory Vase, Lei Papale and Resistencia in next weekend’s features, and he’s confident his fitness is well and truly up to the level required to perform.
If he’s correct, then of course HKIR – at least in part – will become a celebration of a career that’s featured 1,234 Hong Kong wins, four jockeys’ premierships and a string of successes in the city’s biggest races. He’s a fan favourite and they’ll come out in their droves to see him ride again.
But any fears the Jockey Club may have the Brazilian will steal the spotlight on its biggest day are misplaced.
Someone who’s given as much to Hong Kong racing as just about any other rider saying goodbye on the day he’s claimed seven Group One successes seems fitting.
And don’t worry, the likes of Zac Purton, Ryan Moore, James McDonald and Golden Sixty are unlikely to let Moreira make the day all about himself.
