Mick Dee can’t recall a time when horses weren’t a significant part of his life, so he is excited for his maiden riding stint in Japan, a place where the racehorse is revered.
Dee intends to take his first ever JRA stint between April 21 and June 24 and the Kiwi jockey is eagerly anticipating this latest chapter in his career.
“It’s definitely exciting, it’s going to be something very new,” Dee told Idol Horse. “I’m not familiar with Japan at all so it will be a massive learning curve, but I’m excited to learn more. They’ve been so accommodating and they are so helpful with organising it all, so for me, I essentially just have to show up and ride.”
It will be Dee’s second contract outside his homeland of New Zealand and his adopted country Australia. A two-month stint in Hong Kong in mid-2023 saw him ride four winners, while he has also ridden at meetings in Singapore and Macau.
“I’m told Japan is very different to Hong Kong,” he said. “Riding abroad definitely opens your eyes to something different. It’s just about learning and taking it all in really and just taking all of the opportunities available.
“Watching races from Japan and Hong Kong, the races are run a lot differently than Australia, especially Melbourne. A lot of the races here are run at a pretty sedate tempo and horses are ridden for a sprint finish, whereas in Hong Kong or Japan, they can go 100 miles an hour quickly and horses are able to sustain that high pressure and high speed.”
Born and raised in Hawke’s Bay, on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island, Dee is the son of retired trainer Richard. He began his apprenticeship close to home but crossed the Tasman to Australia while he was still a claimer, finishing his tenure with top trainer Mick Price.
“I’ve been around horses my whole life,” he said. “From well before I could even remember I was riding ponies back in New Zealand at a young age. From there it grew to going to the horse shows and showjumping and basically, I got to the age when I was at school that I was still light enough and I decided to try and become a jockey.
“My dad was a trainer back then, he’s not now, but I had a little bit of limited experience in the racing game. It was a natural progression to become a jockey because I’m light and I get on really well with horses.”
Dee’s ability to ride light – he currently rides as light as 52kg – has opened doors in Australia, where a sizeable majority of races are handicaps and horses carry weight based on their ratings.
Among Dee’s 15 Group 1 winners are the 2022 Caulfield Cup on Durston, the 2022 Victoria Derby with Manzoice and this year’s New Zealand Derby aboard Willydoit. He has won both the Australian Guineas and the Blue Diamond Stakes twice apiece.
“I’m lucky that I can ride light so that’s provided me with a lot more opportunities,” he said. “But I’ve been able to make the most of those opportunities and come out on top on a number of occasions and that’s progressed me further.
“I wouldn’t say I’m good at one thing in particular. I would say I’m an all-rounder basically. I win from the front, win from the back, I am happy to ride a race to try and get luck. I’ll adapt to whatever is the best way for me to win a particular race. I do think I have strength in a finish but I like to think of myself as that all-rounder.”
Dee is already planning for the future and intends to return to Japan for a three-month stint next year. He is eligible for a longer contract in 2026 due to his strong performance in the Melbourne jockeys’ premiership last season.
“I don’t really know what to expect to be honest, but I’m just going to go there and do my best and hope that it comes together,” he said. “I’ll enjoy my time there but I will be doing everything I can to make the most of it.” ∎
