Little Paradise’s scintillating win in the Hong Kong Classic Mile was a throwback to six years ago when Vincent Ho and Golden Sixty were emerging together on a journey that would spread the jockey’s name far beyond the local scene, and establish the horse as an all-time great champion.
But in the last couple of years, Ho has had to navigate some painful paths. Four serious falls inside 18 months, each resulting in sidelining injuries, each requiring hard rehabilitation of body and mind. The last of those, on February 9 last year, resulted in a brain injury that kept him off the track for seven arduous months.
Expectations were tempered when he returned to race-riding last September: some close to him questioned whether it was the right move. But by December he had earned his place in the International Jockeys’ Championship at Happy Valley, and by January, he was back in the big-race winner’s spotlight with Little Paradise’s electrifying Classic Mile.
To those outside of Ho’s closest circle the narrative seemed obvious: it was about the return from the hospital bed to the big time, proving to any doubters he still had it, of confidence restored. Well, not quite.
“I don’t see it that way,” Ho says. “I never feel I need to show people what I’m capable of. Any uncertainty that people might have that I’m not able to ride anymore or I’m not worth it anymore, it’s nonsense to me. I have the responsibility to deal only with myself, to prove to myself. Most important in life is that I’m enjoying what I’m doing.
“I’m lucky that I’m able to ride horses for a living, not working nine to five in an office, and I get to have support from trainers and owners to perform on nice horses, so I’m really grateful for that. I just keep learning from horses, from racing, even from my injuries: how to rehab, to have better longevity and to be a better human being. That’s what I need to prove to myself, not to anyone else.”
Ho’s “passion” for horses and for riding them is amplified not only in his determination to overcome serious injury, but also in the regular visits he makes to Northern Horse Park in Japan to spend time with Golden Sixty in the gelding’s retirement.
“I love the sport, I love to compete, I love to ride and communicate with horses, I love them,” he says, “that’s why I still like to ride and compete and perform and challenge myself.
“One of the reasons why I still want to be a jockey is because that’s my passion and I don’t think it’s the right mentality to think it’s about showing people what my worth is: I feel like everything that I do now is for myself, I just have to do my best and focus on the task at hand.
“Of course, I want to bring joy to the owners and trainers, too, and I would like to be good enough to inspire younger kids, the younger generation, or even people from whatever setback they’ve had, so that they have the determination that they will be able to do it again or even do it better. But I don’t have to prove to everyone that I’m still worth being here.”
Being here now means taking Hong Kong’s current most exciting young prospect forward from the Classic Mile into the Hong Kong Classic Cup, and, beyond that, the Hong Kong Derby. Golden Sixty won all three; Little Paradise still has two to go, and, despite the hyperbole flying around Hong Kong after the Jimmy Ting-trained gelding’s brilliant late burst of speed, Ho knows completing the sweep is difficult.
“Everyone has made this comparison to Golden Sixty, but Little Paradise has a lot to prove to be the same level as Golden Sixty: even Romantic Warrior couldn’t beat Golden Sixty,” Ho says.
He notes that the four-year-old series can be “a bit messy, it’s not Group 1 racing, not all of the horses have Group 1 talent,” rather, he says, “they have the rating to get into the races, some are fit enough, some are not even a mile, 1800-metre or 2000-metre horse, they might be sprinters,” and that makes the series fascinating but difficult to gauge.
Little Paradise has done nothing more than draw first blood, albeit with a stunning burst of speed from behind horses that took him swiftly past decelerating rivals.
“We knew he would pick up but we didn’t expect that turn-of-foot,” Ho says. “Being held up for that 100 metres might have helped him explode, but no matter what, I still felt at the 500 (metres) that if he got a clear run he was still going to win. But being held up, I only got a clear run the last 150 to 200 (metres) that turn-of-foot was something special. Only good horses can do that, it is rare.
“Every horse is different: Romantic Warrior needs a high cruising speed and if you ask him to explode, he might not be able to. But some horses will. Voyage Bubble, if you ask him to explode like this, probably not, no chance, but Little Paradise can.
“I haven’t been on anything with that kind of turn of foot since Golden Sixty so I’m happy to be riding him.”
For some jockeys, success breeds confidence, and a win like that on Little Paradise would have put a strut in their step.
“Confidence doesn’t come with outcomes,” Ho says sagely. “It’s not like I get winners and I get more confidence, confidence is always from within. I’m confident with my ability and how I deal with horses, and the outcome of course is great, and after whatever happens, when a good outcome appears I get to appreciate it a lot more than before.
“But that’s not just a race like the Classic Mile, it’s every single winner. Special winners like this help me show my appreciation to the trainers and owners that support me.”
Ho’s ambition is undimmed by the injuries he has had, and his resolve to be the best he can be is firm. Being a jockey is dangerous work, it requires a rare strength of mind and a deep commitment: Ho has both, rooted deeply in his love for the horse and the unique joy he gets from race riding.
“Even my parents think it’s risky to ride again but I have to do what I actually want to do,” he says. “If I stop riding, I might be miserable my whole life or have regrets the rest of my life, so I have to do something I enjoy, I must do whatever I think is right.
“Of course, it’s not like I compulsively decide something,” he adds. “I’m mature enough to think about things and decide for myself. This is what I choose.” ∎
