Nichola Yuen keeping it simple for D-Day

Hong Kong’s newest apprentice Nichola Yuen Hang-yiu makes her much-anticipated debut at today’s Sha Tin all-weather meeting, but rather than let the occasion overwhelm her, she says she wants to keep things simple and remain calm.

Yuen joined the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s trainee program in 2016 as a trainee apprentice jockey and worked for several local stables, including her now-boss Ricky Yiu Poon-fai, before leaving in November 2021 for four years of overseas development. She rode as an apprentice in South Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, recording 61, 10 and seven wins respectively for a total of 78 wins from 875 race rides across the three jurisdictions.

“In South Africa, I learned so much about tactics, how to settle a horse in a race, how to travel smoothly behind horses without getting them keen. Smoothness is very important to help them save energy until the end,” Yuen said at the barrier trials on Tuesday morning.

Yuen kicks off with five rides across the nine-race card, three for Yiu and one apiece for Dennis Yip Chor-hong and Frankie Lor Fu-chuen.

Yuen said she is especially looking forward to partnering the Yip-trained Pi Legend in the second section of the Class 4 Ma Tau Wai Handicap over 1,200 meters after guiding him to an impressive eight-and-a-half-length trial win recently.

“Dropping in class should really help him, along with my 10-pound claim, so it gives him a good chance to break through,” she said.

Yuen also rides another class-dropper in Yiu’s Tourbillon Golfer in the first section of the Ma Tau Wai Handicap.

“It’s his first time racing on the all-weather, so there’s still a question mark, but he has good gate speed, he has barrier one, and I’m expecting him to run well.”

Another likely to use his gate speed is Fun N Fun Together, her ride for Lor in the third section of the Ma Tau Wai Handicap, while she rounds out the card on Dragon Air Force for Yiu in the Class 3 Choi Wan Handicap over 1,650 meters