South African Keagan de Melo will bolster the Hong Kong riding ranks next season, while New Zealander Michael Dee will not return for the 2023-24 campaign.

De Melo is surging towards his first South African jockeys’ premiership, holding a 39-win lead over second place with little more than one month left to run in the season.

The 30-year-old, who has been licensed until February 12, has seven Group One wins to his name among over 1,200 career victories and can ride at 116 pounds.

Friday’s licensing committee announcement also confirmed local trio Alex Lai Hoi-wing, Victor Wong Chun and Jack Wong Ho-nam will retire at the end of this campaign, as reported by the Post on Thursday.

Australians Brenton Avdulla and Luke Currie join De Melo in being granted part-season licences that expire on February 12, while the remaining eight expatriate jockeys have received full-season contracts. Dee opted not to apply for a licence beyond this season.

Besides Wong, Wong and Lai, the remaining 10 local riders – including apprentices Angus Chung Yik-lai and Ellis Wong Chi-wang – have received licences for the full campaign.

While Mark Newnham and Cody Mo Wai-kit will join the training ranks next season, it is Michael Chang Chun-wai and Peter Ho Leung who will almost certainly be forced into retirement if they do not meet the Jockey Club’s benchmark across the final nine meetings.

Chang needs two more wins in Class Four or better to hit the 16 victories required of trainers without a Conghua base, while Ho requires three to avoid his third strike.

“Should Chang or Ho fail to meet the requirements of the trainer’s performance criteria for the third consecutive season, they will be required to appear before the licensing committee should they wish to pursue being granted a trainer’s licence for the 2023-24 season,” the Jockey Club said in a statement.

The other 19 trainers on the roster received licences, with the committee confirming Danny Shum Chap-shing is eligible for an extension past the compulsory retirement age of 65 and can continue beyond the 2024-25 season, while John Size meets the criteria required to become the first Hong Kong trainer to continue beyond 70 and can also carry on past the 2024-25 racing season.