It’s quite extraordinary the long shadow that Douglas Whyte still casts over Hong Kong racing. To anyone trying to unseat him, well, that familiar theme music by Lalo Shifrin starts up again.
After all, there’s the little thing about that record no one will ever break- his thirteen consecutive Hong Kong jockey championship titles.
With Douglas Whyte, 50, now a Trainer, he’s not going anywhere soon. He’s dressed for the part, and the same steely determination that made him the “winningest” jockey in Hong Kong racing history is there for him to take over and own the leading role in the training ranks. It’s on the cards. And it will happen. Bet on it.
Right now, Douglas is putting the building blocks in place and shuffling things around while possibly also showing everyone a glimpse into the future of Hong Kong racing.
He’s also being a good mentor to young riding talent and is using Instagram to showcase the management skills needed to run a successful Team DW operation.
When hastily brought in to Hong Kong last season to replace Gary Lo, apprentice Jerry Chau got off to a flying start and kept flying when the Club made the smart move to have him indentured to Whyte.
They knew how much the former champion jockey would absolutely enjoy the challenge of making this decision work.
Riding his own track work, Douglas Whyte knows who and what suits his horses best and how each horse is doing- even those not belonging to him. It’s always good to know the competition.
Though using a “horses for courses” strategy when it comes to those he books for rides, Jerry Chau, with his ten pound claiming allowance, benefitted most by following Whyte’s instructions.
He hit the ground running by riding winner after winner, and became the most successful apprentice in Hong Kong since Matthew Chadwick.
These days, his relationship with Chau looks to have broken down, which has opened the door for another young rider- Lyle Hewitson.
It had been a topsy turvy start to the season for the South African rider including being involved in the horrific melee during the International Sprint when four riders were dislodged off their horses. Lyle Hewitson came off the worst with a cracked pelvis.
With his positive mindset, he returned to race riding sooner than most expected, and with the strong support system of fellow South African Douglas Whyte, the comeback began.
The new partnership clicked right from the start.
While Jerry Chau was left to rue as to what might have been, the Whyte-Hewitson duopoly racked up an impressive run of winners including a first time treble in Hong Kong for the 24 year old rider.
That was in April, and Hong Kong racing fans were finally seeing what they had been unable to appreciate when Lyle rode in Hong Kong the season earlier- the talent that made him the champion rider he was back home.
Sensibly, he was eased into race riding and given the rides that suited him best.
Whyte was still using Blake Shinn, Alexis Badel, Matthew Chadwick, Vincent Ho, and Karis Teetan- and very occasionally, Zac Purton and Joao Moreira. But the most successful ongoing partnership was with Lyle Hewitson.
Last weekend, having him aboard Stronger, one of the Whyte stable’s stars, spoke volumes. It showed that Lyle had passed an important exam.
Of course, as Hot Chocolate once sang, everybody loves a winner, baby, and today, Lyle Hewitson is being offered rides by other stables including, last weekend, his first for John Size.
This wouldn’t have gone unnoticed by Whyte whose relationship with his one-time “bestie” and biggest support system still remains somewhat frosty. And that’s putting it politely.
Let’s not forget that after his last ride as a jockey at Shatin, every rider and trainer came out to celebrate Douglas Whyte’s great career- except for one. You guessed it.
It doesn’t take an Einstein to figure out that Douglas Whyte would dearly love to challenge John Size for the trainers championship in Hong Kong before the 68 year old master horseman retires-and win.
Meanwhile, in the here and now, there’s Douglas competing against every other trainer and knowing that as a young 50 year old what he has on his side is time.
What then about Lyle Hewitson?
Well, he is probably the most well-educated jockey riding in Hong Kong. His parents very wisely insisted that he first finish his education before pursuing a career in racing.
From the couple of times we’ve met, he’s polite, humble, focused and takes nothing for granted.
He knows what he has back home and when the opportunity arises there’s Japan where he’s already made his mark.
With he and Douglas Whyte proving to be a formidable combination, it’s now about broadening his opportunities in Hong Kong.
He, too, has time on his side, but then again, time waits for no one.
Though one doubts that the racing world will ever see another prodigious riding talent like Steve Cauthen, one hopes that Lyle sets his sights on matching the riding skills of someone like young gun Jye McNeil in Australia.
Riders like James McDonald, Hollie Doyle and William Buick are in a rarefied field. Trying to play catch-up with them has the theme from Mission: Impossible playing in my head again.
For Lyle Hewitson, and if he decides to go the distance in Hong Kong, being a champion jockey in the city is definitely more than a possibility.
After all, the odds are that Zac Purton and Joao Moreira won’t be riding into their mid Forties and the opportunities to take over from them are certainly there.
Personally speaking, one comes back to Lyle Hewitson’s education- and his age.
Yes, he’s a good jockey, he has already gone far, and the road ahead is open with all manner of career opportunities.
Looking at the current racing landscape and its future, with the right mentoring, marketing and experience, Lyle could very possibly make a good young racing executive.
Depending on his career plans, so could Douglas Whyte.
Sometimes, partnerships last even longer by making career detours many don’t expect- but which make sense when stepping back and taking a long term view of where the world might be heading.
