Probert is ready to try his luck in Hong Kong

> Welsh jockey David Probert has been granted a Hong Kong licence

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THE Welsh valleys to the razzmatazz of the vibrant and cosmopolitan Hong Kong is not a well-trodden path, but it is one jockey David Probert will take after he was granted a riding licence for the region.

Born in Bargoed, Probert is part of the furniture in Britain’s Flat weighing room and has partnered nearly 1,700 winners having graduated from the famed Kingsclere jockeys’ academy at Andrew Balding’s Hampshire yard.

The 36-year-old is a multiple Group-win-ning rider and has a host of high-profile handicaps on his CV, most notably the 2016 Stewards’ Cup, which he landed on the Balding-trained Dancing Star.

His most prolific campaign came in 2021 when he notched a tally of 169 winners, while he has forged a fine reputation for himself as a reliable and talented horsemen - attributes that likely caught the attention of Hong Kong Jockey Club officials who have licensed him to ride there until February.

Probert, whose first winner, Mountain Pass, came for the Bargoed-based Bernard Llewellyn in 2007, said: “It looks like Hong Kong offers plenty of opportunity for somebody who is willing to work hard and I just want to give it my all.

“I thought I might as well give it a go now and see how things progress.

“There probably aren’t as many opportunities to get rides in Hong Kong, as we race seven days a week in the UK, but obviously the prize-money is significantly better.

“It doesn’t take much to be rewarded - if you get a winner, it's probably like riding 20 winners at a low level in the UK.”

Dynamic and culturally diverse, Hong Kong boasts an enviable profile as a racing jurisdiction, largely down to the prize-mon-ey on offer, while Happy Valley, nestled in the heart of Wan Chai among iconic skyscrapers and apartment blocks, and set against a stunning skyline, is a breathtaking venue.