A breakout day at Sha Tin has given Ethan Brown food for thought as he weighs a full-time move to Hong Kong.
Brown rode a treble at Saturday's twilight fixture – and it was not just the number that mattered, but who two were for. John Size, whose support is among the most sought-after in the city, put the Australian up on Country Dancer and Endued, both of whom delivered. In between Brown won on Prestige Hall for David Hall.
"It was a good taste of what can be, or what could be," Brown said. "It doesn't make my decision any easier, put it that way."
It was a timely lift on the eve of the Jockey Club’s licensing decisions for 2026/27. Brown began a short-term license in late April, set to run to the July 15 finale. Support had been thin: he arrived on Saturday with just three wins from 86 rides, and only one from his previous eight meetings.
Three winners doubled his Hong Kong tally in an afternoon and lifted his win strike rate to a respectable 6.32 percent. "I came here expecting the least, to be honest," he said. "I was coming here for a learning curve, new pressures, different jockeys, different tactics. Today I've doubled my win tally to six. I wasn't really expecting that."
Jockey Club officials are weighing options for next season, indicating to The Standard on Saturday that announcements on the jockeys' roster would come early this week.
Brown hasn’t had a serious conversation with officials yet but is content to wait. "I'm not sure if I actually apply or not, I think Terry (Bailey) will contact me at some stage. But I'll leave that in their hands. I'm not going to force the issue by any means."
The decision is not his alone - Brown’s partner, Celine Gaudray, has put her own riding career on hold while he tests the waters here. "It's not just me; I've got Celine to think about too. We've got our lives set up at home in Australia," he said. "She's starting to get a bit of an itch to get back in the saddle, so we have to consider all these things.
"I need to go home and sleep and just have a good hard think. It's not a no and it's not a firm yes, I must say."
That Brown is in this position at all is its own story – a return from severe injuries in a March 2023 fall to re-establish himself as a go-to rider for Victoria's biggest stables.
Saturday, though, was about Size and his support. "It means a lot to ride a winner for John Size, let alone two," Brown said. "For him to even give me rides is one thing – but to get a couple of winners for him is the cherry on top."
The trainer offered riding instructions but, ultimately, belief in Brown’s ability. "He'll give me a few little pointers, but other than that he put his trust in me today," Brown said.
Brown said he is understanding the Hong Kong form and system better and that is giving him greater clarity out on the track. "When I first got here it was a bit foggy, because I didn't know anything. After a couple of months, it's starting to clear up."
