ANYONE who knows anything about racing Hong Kong will tell you the same thing - the jockey is the single most important factor in the winner-finding equation.
It takes time to realise that if you arrive here from Europe, or from India, where the tracks are huge compared to their Southern Hemisphere counterparts.
Big tracks usually mean broad, sweeping bends, long straights and a slow, gradual wind-up of tempo from start to finish. Riding tactics play a smaller part.
Here the tracks are much tighter. Believe it or not, Sha Tin would be classed as a tight track in England, or a small track at least. Skill in the saddle becomes paramount.
That is why it is good to see a senior jockey aboard Super Freighter in tomorrow's fourth event at the Valley, the second leg of the Triple Trio and the opening leg of the Double Trio.
He's a certain nine-time champion jockey of New Zealand, Lance O'Sullivan, who coped admirably with the pressure of riding Mr Vitality last weekend, getting him home to win by the shortest of short heads from Winning Partners in a ride where he wasn't taking any prisoners.
O'Sullivan knows Super Freighter well, having ridden him last season and the Canadian import's form is rock solid. The only time he has disappointed was when apprentice ridden over too short a trip.
