Christophe Soumillon is perhaps the only jockey in the world who can walk into and out of Hong Kong racing when he wants.
He's a bankable commodity to the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which rolls out the red carpet to the Belgian-born prince of French racing every winter as he gets away from being one of the stars of the European scene. The fans adore him and, perhaps more importantly in this bottom-line-conscious town, they love to bet on him.
The great Frankie Dettori is possibly the only other jockey, anywhere, with such star quality. Soumillon, at just 26 years of age, has it all. The looks, the charisma, the beauty-queen wife - Miss France 1998, Sophie Thalmann - and success wherever he goes. Not to mention a skill in the saddle that is rare to the point of being priceless.
During the European racing season, he's the number one jockey to the Aga Khan, a position he has now held since signing up in 2001. It's one of the prestige posts in world racing, and one that has had strong Hong Kong links in the past, with previous incumbents of the glamour job being our own Tony Cruz and the adopted French Hong Konger, Gerald Mosse.
So with money no object, a loving family - the couple have a two-year-old daughter, Charlie - why isn't Soumillon in holiday mode in one of the world's luxury resort locations instead of pushing more and more horses around on cold winter mornings at Sha Tin?
'What I like here is the competitive racing, and it's quite different to what we experience in France during their season,' Soumillon explained this week.
'I like to be out there, riding the horses in the mornings, always looking for the next good horse, maybe the next Derby winner.