Ten-time Group One-winning jockey Michael Dee will join the Hong Kong riding ranks next week.

Dee, who occupies fourth place in this season’s Victorian metropolitan riders’ premiership with 32 wins from 278 rides, will begin his Hong Kong stint at Happy Valley on May 24, with the Jockey Club licensing the New Zealander from May 22 to July 9 inclusive.

The Jockey Club, which has moved quickly to recruit Dee after last week’s disqualifications of Silvestre de Sousa and Vagner Borges and this week’s departure of Ruan Maia of his own volition, has approved the Kiwi rider to miss the Sha Tin meeting on June 10 so he can steer Ruthless Dame for the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable in the Group One Stradbroke Handicap (1,200m) at Eagle Farm on that day.

The son of a retired Kiwi trainer, Dee started his apprenticeship in New Zealand in late 2012 before moving to Australia in early 2015, where he finished his education under Caulfield handler Mick Price.

Dee, who outrode his claim and became a senior jockey in December 2016, has won several of Australia’s top races, including the 2022 Group One Caulfield Cup (2,400m) aboard Chris Waller-trained stayer Durston.

Waller has supplied four of Dee’s 10 Group One-winning rides – Shillelagh in the 2017 Kennedy Mile, Manzoice in the 2022 Victoria Derby (2,500m), Espiona in the 2023 Coolmore Classic (1,500m) and Durston – while the Kiwi jockey partnered Little Brose to his 2023 Blue Diamond Stakes (1,200m) victory for Ben and JD Hayes, two of Hong Kong handler David Hayes’ sons.

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Meanwhile, Sky Field’s connections have retired the 2021 Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) champion following a career in which the Caspar Fownes-trained speedster won six races and earned HK$35 million in prize money.

Although Sky Field did not win again after his 2021 Hong Kong Sprint success under Australian rider Blake Shinn, he placed in three subsequent Group One events, including finishing third behind Wellington and Sight Success in his title defence on international day last year.