The Hong Kong Jockey Club will not object to the licensing of jockeys Robbie Fradd and John Egan in other jurisdictions and has already sent a letter of advice to the Jockey Club in England to clarify the situation. The club's executive director of racing, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said he believed there was a 'high probability' that Egan would be licensed to ride once he has completed a separate suspension this Sunday night. Fradd said this week he plans to ride in South Africa at major meetings during the next three months. 'We are aware that John Egan has had discussions with the Jockey Club in England, although he has not made official application to ride,' said Engelbrecht-Bresges. 'We have now been contacted by officials of the English Jockey Club to give our position on the suspension and we have sent them an official letter. We will be doing the same for Robbie Fradd with the Jockey Club in South Africa. 'I hope that, if they ride elsewhere, people in Hong Kong understand that it was a difficult position for the Jockey Club here to allow them to ride while an ICAC criminal investigation was continuing.' Engelbrecht-Bresges said both riders had been fully informed of the contents of the letters. 'In it, the Hong Kong Jockey Club states that neither man has been charged with anything, but that they are both still under criminal investigation by the ICAC,' he said. 'Further, it states that we felt obliged in the interests of Hong Kong racing to stand them down, but that we do not seek reciprocity with other jurisdictions for this suspension. In effect, we inform the ruling bodies of the facts as they stand and they can draw their own conclusions regarding whether Fradd and Egan should be licensed to ride.' Fradd and Egan were questioned by the ICAC on February 6 as part of an investigation into alleged race fixing and illegal bookmaking. They have not been charged with any offence, but the Hong Kong Jockey Club suspended their riding licences until June 30 as a precautionary measure while the investigation continues. In other news, the Jockey Club has been greatly encouraged by the distribution of ownership permits after the annual ballot was completed yesterday. The split of imports in Hong Kong is currently running at approximately 85 per cent for unraced Private Purchase Griffins (PPGs) to only 15 per cent for previously-performed Private Purchases (PPs). However, the applications in the ownership permit ballot were moving towards a higher demand for PPs, with more than 22 per cent of the permits towards raced horses. 'We believe that a better balance between the two groups is better for racing in Hong Kong, so the result is going in the right direction,' said Engelbrecht-Bresges. He added that the volume of applications was steady against last year's drop in the number of owners' permits sought. 'We applied more stringent financial proof requirements last year and there was a drop in the number of permits down to just those people who were genuinely interested in racing a horse and the commitment that entails,' he said. 'And with fewer people applying last year and this than in previous seasons, obviously the chance of having a successful application was stronger. Applicants are now around a 2-1 chance of getting an ownership permit in the ballot.' The club has also announced that two racing fixtures have been moved to accommodate public interest in the World Cup soccer finals. The two meetings were to clash with matches involving China. The Sunday, June 2 day meeting has been moved to Saturday night, June 1, and the June 8, Sha Tin night meeting will be a day meeting on Sunday, June 9.
