When Harry Bentley rode his third winner at Shatin on Sunday- Packing Victory- there was quite a loud whoop at my home.
Apart from being a brilliant ride, and not that different from what I have seen from Tom Marquand, one of my favourite jockeys since first watching him ride in Australia, it had to do with personal joy and pride in telling my group of friends who have zero interest in horse racing that here is a gun jockey.
It didn’t matter that they didn’t know what a “gun jockey” meant. They sat down with me and my girlfriend and watched Harry Bentley come from a pretty near impossible position to win on number 6.
It was his third winner of the afternoon, and though the day belonged to The Zac Attack and his magnificent seven, Harry Bentley was suddenly in the limelight- and right before he starts one of those pesky suspensions from riding.
He had also repaid the loyalty of Trainer Danny Shum who had stuck with the young rider- as had Shum’s owners.
Quiet and private, Danny Shum knows the game after those years spent being Assistant Trainer to the legendary Ivan Allen.
Everyone learned something from being around one of the smartest gentlemen in horse racing- and not only in Hong Kong.
As for Harry Bentley, what’s next? Same with other young expat riders like Luke Ferraris and Lyle Hewitson while never losing sight of excellent home grown riding talent like Derek Leung, Matthew Chadwick, Matthew Poon and Vincent Ho.
These are going to be years of massive change in life in Hong Kong as the world enters post pandemic times.
Every single business is re-examining its business model and trying to understand the wants and needs and mood of today’s very different and fickle consumer groups.
Whether the hospitality trade, the music and entertainment industry or horse racing, it’s about change and reshaping the future.
What’s perhaps closer to home is seeing where one might fit in- and for how long.
If in business and with another 15-20 years to make one’s mark, it’s about seeing even a glimpse of what lies ahead and getting to that point where opportunities become more clear.
If looking at working to make things happen in the next 3-5 years, it’s using all of life’s experiences to see who’s looking for what and where and why and what you have that they want.
In a pastime like horse racing, those of us who have taken even a modicum of interest in it see that those bells are ringing in plenty of changes.
Age has caught up with legendary jockeys and trainers, and they are about to hang up their boots. Same with racing executives, some of whom are playing out their last hands.
For those young guns, at least from where I am looking, it’s about doing what they love doing- riding winners- and perhaps also seeing what those consumers in their age group are looking for and adding this into their repertoire. Good word that- repertoire.
From building up strong portfolios and solid work experience, it’s now very possibly about expanding one’s repertoire.
These young guns have time on their side. Many of us don’t.
What some of us have is experience and maybe an understanding of different business landscapes around the world and the opportunities they might have.
It’s also not only about looking out for numero uno.
It should be about mentoring unselfishly and opening doors of opportunity for the next generation.
For some reason, winning rides by these guns offer me a glimpse into the future of a pastime that I believe can be far more popular than it is if not constantly bogged down by its association with gambling.
This perception can be changed- if one wants this to happen- and, yes, looks beyond the obvious.
This is where one needs experience to know when to switch off those echoes of everything that’s already been discussed ad infinitum, but with nothing having changed except for just another deluge of empty words.
This is why, whether right or wrong, people like myself, who have travelled from journalism and advertising and marketing and running music companies perhaps see opportunities where others don’t.
It’s about not repeating old formulas for success, but creating new opportunities for people like those young guns in horse racing.
It’s then about them not wasting their time shooting blanks.
Instead it’s about perhaps looking at the success of, in particular, Zac Purton.
Here’s someone who made the time to see the lay of the land, learn from those more experienced, more successful, more connected along with everything else around him, and is now one of the most powerful names in horse racing.
Zac, once a young gun, is in an enviable position able to take his brand beyond the pastime.
No other jockey in the modern era has done this- be bigger than racing itself.
He’s focused, supremely confident, he’s hugely competitive, and while possibly missing the on-course rivalry with the brilliant João Moreira, Zac Purton is out there hunting for new mountains to climb.
The timing of everything falling together for him has been impeccable.
Some might not like to hear it, but that cocky kid from Coffs Harbour has just maybe jopened the doors to what could be an entirely new fashioned horse racing industry.
Every young gun currently in Hong Kong and garnering life lessons in the city have an extremely good teacher.
So have those young guns of racing outside of Hong Kong.
They just don’t know it.
#harrybentley #zacpurton #HKracing #competitive #change #dannyshum #hansebert #youngguns #ivanallen #opportunities #timing
