Joao Moreira will not have a short-term riding stint in Hong Kong in 2025, as the Jockey Club has announced that the roster for retained jockeys is full for the first half of the season.
Trainer Caspar Fownes had previously expressed plans to bring Moreira back as his stable rider from October to December. However, on Thursday, the Jockey Club confirmed that “there is no availability for retained jockeys” during this period.
This follows the announcement on Wednesday that James McDonald, Hollie Doyle, Maxime Guyon, and Dylan Browne McMonagle will spend varying amounts of time riding in Hong Kong between November and March. Terry Bailey, executive manager of licensing at the Jockey Club, stated that any jockey seeking a stable role will need to wait.
“Considering the roster of jockeys already licensed for the first half of the 2025–26 racing season, the club has determined that there is no availability for retained jockeys over this period,” the statement read.
“Applications for retained jockey positions for the period after February 17, 2026, should be submitted to the executive manager, licensing, by December 1, 2025.”
