West’s best Pike to ride in HK

Perth’s top jockey William Pike may be old-fashioned in preferring the the foot-in-the-iron style of riding rather than the toe-in approach of most of Australia’s top young jockeys, but he won’t be out of place in Hong Kong when he moves there next season.

Pike (23) was named as one of two new riders when the Hong Kong Jockey Club announced next season’s contracts yesterday – South African Greg Cheyne is the other.

Returning Australian Darren Beadman, who also adheres to the foot-in style, will return for his third season as retained jockey for Australian trainer John Moore – Pike and most others are club riders – but Beadman’s brief comes with a warning from the club committee. It “directed management to inform jockey Beadman that the committee had noted the number of occasions on which he had been spoken to regarding his handling of horses in races and that his disciplinary record would be closely monitored”.

On Sunday, Beadman was given a two-meeting suspension for not riding a horse out when it finished sixth but narrowly missed fourth, which could have cost punters money from the huge pool on first-four betting. (He will begin his latest time out after riding one of Moore’s runners, Viva Pataca or Collection, in the Group 1 City Champions & Chater Cup, 2400m, at Sha Tin on Sunday.) The HKJC had not wanted the Australian champion back after disqualifying him in 1993 for not allowing a horse to run on its merits.

In 2007, it changed its mind after urging from Moore. Pike, who has stayed in Perth rather than try his luck in the Eastern States, told perthracing.com.au that he would be required in Hong Kong two weeks before the 2009-10 season starts on September 15.

“I am going to try my luck in Hong Kong,” he said. “It’s the best racing in the world and I’m going to try and match it against them … it’s an opportunity too good to resist.” Pike, who will ride in WA until the end of this season (July 31), said his new job “means I will have to start at the bottom of the pile, like everyone else, and go and ride track work and get my own rides”. (Jockey managers are not allowed in Hong Kong.)

Pike, a distant relative of Jim Pike, rider of the champion Phar Lap in the 1930s, told The Thoroughbred (VIEW HERE) placing his feet well into the stirrups enabled him to encourage his mounts with a kick and to ride more strongly hands and heels.

After riding four winners at Belmont on Saturday, Pike has seven mounts at the same track today. He is certain to win his second WA metropolitan premiership with 73 wins, 34 ahead of second-placed Troy Turner. Pike has 123 wins statewide, the fifth season on end he has topped the ton. His career win tally is 767, including two Group 1s (Grand Journey and Cats Fun in the WATC Derby in 2007 and 2008) and two races at the Warrnambool carnival in May 2007 when Victorian trainer Robbie Laing lured him across for three days, setting in train rumours that Pike would soon try his luck in Eastern Australia.

Now, he will ride in Hong Kong, regarded as one of the world’s most competitive racing jurisdictions.

Victorian James Winks, who has had 10 wins since getting a short-term licence in January, has been granted the full-season brief he sought, as has former Sydney-based South African veteran Jeff Lloyd. Another Victorian, Brett Prebble, the perennial runner-up to South African Douglas Whyte, and Queenslander Zac Purton, also return.

Adelaide’s reigning premier rider Clare Lindop, who told thethoroughbred.com.au earlier this month that she had applied to ride in Hong Kong, did not get a licence. She has plenty to look forward to closer to home this season with Rebel Raider, the Victoria Derby and South Australian Derby winner, and an early fancy for the Melbourne Cup.

Pike and Cheyne fill the spots vacated by Eric Saint-Martin and Mark du Plessis. Saint-Martin, who was David Hayes’ stable rider before the trainer returned to Australia in 2005, was refused a licence after running battles with HKJC authorities. Saint-Martin said he would retire and return to France, where he has business interests. Zimbabwean-born du Plessis did not apply, preferring to return to New Zealand.

Australian trainers Moore, John Size and David Hall and New Zealander Paul O’Sullivan have been re-licensed.