Finding Her Grip: Britney Wong Is Turning Doubt Into Determination

WHEN YOU MEET Britney Wong, the first thing you notice is the handshake – firm and confident. It says plenty before she ever does.

She’s leaning on her green Shimano road bike after trackwork at Sha Tin, speaking easily to Idol Horse about life in Hong Kong. It’s been a steep learning curve over her first 13 months in the cut-throat jurisdiction, but the 26-year-old apprentice says she’s beginning to find her rhythm, her style and her confidence.

“I’m starting to get the hang of it,” she says. “You can have Zac [Purton] on your outside and maybe Karis Teetan on your inside and it can be easy to doubt yourself in a finish.

“But I’m working on it and doing my own thing. Trying to keep my rhythm, not lose my cool and if I get there, I’ll get there, at least I know I’ve tried my best.”

That rhythm was on full display at Sha Tin on Sunday when Wong celebrated her biggest win in the city in the Class 2 Panasonic Cup aboard outsider Sagacious Life. 

While 20 of her previous 22 Hong Kong wins had come from horses who settled in the first three in running, Wong was extremely satisfied to taste success by a short-head thanks to a withering late burst from the rear of the field.

“It’s great to have a Class 2 winner and especially with a racing style which is different to where I’m used to winning from,” Wong said. “I didn’t realise it was that close at the line because I could feel him put everything in in the last 100 metres and I thought he was going to get to them pretty easily.”

In doing so, she took home the first ‘trophy race’ of her Hong Kong career.

“The first trophy I have in Hong Kong is in the shape of a rice cooker, how good!” she laughed.

Wong returned to her home city at the beginning of last season on the back of spells in Australia – where she rode 50 winners – and New Zealand. She is the first female apprentice licensed by the Hong Kong Jockey Club since Kei Chiong, who had a sensational but brief race-riding career in Hong Kong from September 2015 until she retired officially in January 2018. 

Indentured to the David Hall stable, Wong quickly realised that racing at Sha Tin against a host of the world’s top riders was a different beast altogether.

“When I was in Australia, it was a bit more about getting the horse settled in a position where they are comfortable,” Wong says. “But in Hong Kong, it’s so competitive for an early position. The first 200 metres are critical. 

“In that way, it’s been very competitive and at times it has been hard to find my position. But now I’m starting to get a feel for it. I’m working on finding the best spot and getting the horse to relax as soon as possible.”

Wong collected 18 wins from 210 rides during her first season in the city – eight of which came on Sha Tin’s dirt track – and she has added another five over the first 14 meetings of the 2025-26 season.

While a strike rate of just under 10 percent and a solid support base – she has ridden for 10 trainers so far this term – tells the story of an apprentice rolling along successfully under her seven-pound claim, Wong speaks candidly about her ongoing battles with self-doubt and her support network.

Chief riding instructor and racing legend Felix Coetzee and Jockey Club mentor Amy Chan have become anchors, while her personal trainer, Oleg Zhavoronkov, and her weighing room colleagues continue to offer guidance.

“I talk to Felix and Amy a lot about doubting myself and they try to bring me up from that doubt,” Wong says. “They always remind me that I’m riding against some of the world’s best jockeys, on one of the most competitive tracks in the world and I’m still riding winners.

“Hugh Bowman has been very helpful. He gallops horses for  my boss very often and I’ll usually get advice from him. Zac sometimes gallops for my boss as well, so I can ask him. 

“I’ve also been working with Oleg for at least half a year now and he’s doing everything to try and get us fit and mentally strong. He also teaches me to not doubt myself. He always believes in my strength and I just need to bring that out in a race.” 

Watching her own races back with a critical yet attuned eye is helping Wong believe, too.

“When you’re not winning, it can be tough,” she admits. “But when I watch a replay, I can see how much I’ve improved and that’s always very encouraging for me, because it comes back to the problem of doubting myself. 

“If I can watch a replay back and see where I can improve it just makes me believe that I can continue to get better in the future. That’s what keeps me going.”

That belief in her ability will be crucial when she steps out to ride at Happy Valley for the first time this weekend. Wong has been cleared to ride at the city track after more than a year race riding at Sha Tin only.

Happy Valley is unlike any other racetrack in the world. The sharp and constant turns, the jostling for early position, the close proximity of rivals make it an immense test of judgement, timing and trust which even Brazilian maestro Joao Moreira once admitted he never quite mastered.

“I’m very keen to get there,” Wong said. “There are some tight tracks I’ve ridden in Australia, so I wouldn’t say it’s a huge step up, but obviously it’s another level of racing to adjust to.

“Looking at it, I’ve still got the seven-pound claim, there’s the short straight and sharp turns, so hopefully we can ride some winners.”

While Happy Valley presents one challenge, another opportunity is about to arrive in the form of one of Britain’s leading riders. From early November, Wong will not be the only rider in the newly renovated female jockeys’ room at Sha Tin, as Hollie Doyle will arrive in Hong Kong on a short-term contract. 

As soon as Doyle’s name comes up in conversation, Wong can’t hide her excitement and beams from cheek to cheek. 

“I am very excited,” she says. “Last year, when Hollie was here for a few days, I asked her a lot of questions and she always helped.

“Her personality, her skills, her strength, it’s everything. She’s a very good model for me to try to copy. She’s here for seven weeks this time so I can’t wait for that.”

For Wong, who never grew up with horses but fell in love with the sport when she joined the Jockey Club’s apprentice programme after her school exams, it’s clear she’s embracing the journey one day at a time. 

That firm handshake isn’t for show, because with new challenges and new company ahead, Wong’s grip on Hong Kong racing is starting to grow a little stronger. ∎

Michael Cox

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