The bad news for rival jockeys as Douglas Whyte holds aloft his third successive Hong Kong jockeys' championship trophy tomorrow is that there is no respite in sight - they could be looking at Whyte's bony backend for years to come.
'I'll be here as long as the Jockey Club wants me - even with the 10 per cent pay cut,' Whyte quipped after Wednesday's low-key win on Enormous Way placed the championship mathematically beyond arch-rival Shane Dye.
'Hong Kong is home now. It's a big part of my life, my family's life, and it is the best racing in the world. I don't have any plans to leave.'
Whyte duelled with Dye for months before drawing off for a win that will look easy in the history books but it's some measure of the Durban Demon's form that both Dye and third-placed Felix Coetzee have had personal best seasons.
'It certainly gets harder with each win and the competition was tough all round this time,' Whyte admitted. 'But I try to remain consistent and level-headed. Pressure can get to anyone, anytime and it's one of the biggest factors in a jockeys' championship stretching out over a season. But the more pressure, the more competition, the better I love it.'
Still three shy of the 90 wins he needs for his own best season, the South African has already enjoyed a landmark year.
'I'm leaving myself a bit of a mountain to climb on Sunday but whether I get those three or not, it has been a fantastic season. Winning the International Jockeys' Challenge for Hong Kong was terrific after watching visitors take it every other year.
