Australian jockey Danny Nikolic had his pre-season wish come true yesterday when the Jockey Club's licensing committee extended his contract until the end of the season. Nikolic, a prolific big-race winner in Melbourne where he had been the number one rider for major owner Lloyd Williams, came to Hong Kong - as all jockeys do - taking it one term at a time. But yesterday's extension, his fourth for the season, will mean his aim of seeing out the entire season will have become a reality. After a slow start, largely exacerbated by the demand for his services in the big Group One races of the Melbourne spring carnival, Nikolic has picked up momentum and now has 12 winners on the board, as well as 30 minor placings, from 210 rides. He has also picked up the mount on the exciting, unbeaten Sacred Kingdom for the Ricky Yiu Poon-fie stable and is riding an increasing number of horses for the Paul O'Sullivan yard. Nikolic can celebrate his reappointment by winning the final event - the Hoi Yuen Handicap over 1,800 metres - tonight on Easy Punch for veteran horseman Alex Wong Yu-on. Easy Punch was stretched out to this distance last start and showed rare finishing speed to defeat all but pacemaker Tactic King, and would have stolen the race in another stride. His pilot that night, five-pound claimer Way Leung Ming-wai, has made way for Nikolic, who won on Easy Punch for owner Choy Ching-moon earlier in the season. On last night's 6pm tote call, Easy Punch was favourite in a wide-betting race at $51, with his last-start conqueror Tactic King soft in the market at $150. The third-tranche licensing announcement was a very flat one compared to recent years, with no new expatriate jockeys added to the roster. Meanwhile, the Jockey Club did announce that it will not be replacing trainer David Oughton, who retired at the end of November, bringing down the curtain on an illustrious career that included dual international Group One glory with the marvellous Cape Of Good Hope. Licensing secretary Kim Kelly said the training ranks would remain the same next season as they stand today, with the (approximately) 1,200 horses in training split between 24 trainers.
