Cody Mo Wai-kit will go from assisting Tony Cruz for nine years to competing against the living legend next season after the Jockey Club granted him a trainer’s licence for the 2023-24 campaign.

Mo joins Australian handler Mark Newnham, whom the Jockey Club unveiled three months ago, as a newcomer to the Hong Kong training ranks next term, following a lengthy apprenticeship assisting a quartet of bosses.

In June 2008, the Jockey Club’s licensing committee promoted Mo from work rider to assistant trainer and assigned him to Melbourne Cup-winning conditioner David Hall, whom he supported for four years.

Mo spent single campaigns assisting David Ferraris (2012-13) and Benno Yung Tin-pang (2013-14) – the latter in his rookie year – before becoming Cruz’s right-hand man leading into the 2014-15 season.

Cody Mo (left) and Tony Cruz at Sha Tin in September 2019.

During Mo’s nine years as Cruz’s trusted lieutenant, their stable saddled eight individual Group One winners – Beauty Only, Blazing Speed, California Spangle, Exultant, Helene Super Star, Pakistan Star, Peniaphobia and Time Warp – and two of those gallopers celebrated Classic Series successes.

“A great thank you to the club and the licensing committee for the opportunity to get a licence in 2023-24 to be a trainer,” said 45-year-old Mo.

“I joined the club in 1993. I attended Racing Training Programme 14 and graduated in 1994. I was a work rider until 2008 when the club promoted me to assistant trainer. In the past 15 years, I followed four different trainers. I learned so much from them. I hope to have a career like them.”

Jockey Club executive director of racing Andrew Harding acknowledged Mo, who missed out last year when the licensing committee picked Pierre Ng Pang-chi ahead of him, had been on the radar for a while.

Jockey Club executive director of racing Andrew Harding introduces new trainer Cody Mo to the media.

“Talent development is essential to the long-term development of Hong Kong racing. Cody was identified several years ago as having great potential to one day become a trainer in Hong Kong,” Harding said.

“He’s worked very hard. He’s learned from the best. The licensing committee has made the assessment the time is right for him to be given this opportunity.

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“He’s been a favourite for several years. It’s very important to us that, when the opportunities do present, we provide them to local talents such as Cody, who’s worked so hard to bring himself to the stage where he can become a trainer in his own right.

“We’re in the post-pandemic phase. The applications for the horse ballot were very strong. The horse population will increase. The timing is right to give Cody an opportunity he’s worked so hard to earn.”

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