One of Howard Cheng Yue-tin's first impressions of horse racing was the smiling faces of the winners on television.
In March 1999, after a three-year apprenticeship, he was one of those smiling winners when he bagged his first professional race.
'Every time I went to the race tracks I would imagine the happiness I would feel if I won. But when I won my first race that happiness was stronger than I had ever imagined. It was a great feeling and I knew I had chosen the right career. It was one of the most memorable days of my life. I'll never forget it.'
Cheng said he loved his job because of the excitement it brought and he believed that jockeys were often highly ambitious people who were motivated by the competitive nature of the sport.
Cheng started his career as an apprentice jockey at the Hong Kong Jockey Club at the age of 16. After spending three years training under the watchful eye of the now-departed Australian David Hayes, where he built up a solid reputation as a champion apprentice jockey, he was ready to step up to the next level.
Hayes was an excellent mentor, Cheng said.