‘The Licensing Committee has approved an application received from Jockey Joao Moreira to withdraw his licence issued by the Club for the 2022/23 racing season, with immediate effect.’
That brief twenty-eight word notification posted by the Hong Kong Jockey Club marks the end of one of the most successful personal contributions to Hong Kong’s racing history with the four time Hong Kong’s four-time Champion Jockey bowing out having earned the utmost respect for his achievements in the Hong Kong racing precinct over a long period of time.
Apart from Moreira’s premiership wins, his arm wrestle battle for the Champion Jockey title with Zac Purton over recent years has been fascinating viewing which, in itself, lifted the profile of Hong Kong racing.
Sadly, Moreira is not entirely leaving on his own terms which the decision largely been forced on him for a number of reasons, both professional and personal.
Firstly, Moreira, who last rode in Hong Kong on September 21, is currently recuperating in Brazil following treatment on a hip injury. As reported in the South China Post, Moreira has admitted the platelet-rich plasma therapy has not been as effective as first hoped which meant his earlier plan of returning to race riding fairly quickly after surgery has had to be put on hold.
Secondly, Moreira has also gone on record with his views regarding the toll taken on jockeys in Hong Kong, specifically during the months of the Covid related strict lockdowns they had to endure to ensure that the racing bubble established by the Jockey Club remained intact.
And thirdly, an additional layer of mental stress was brought into play for Moreira when his family returned to Brazil in June. Being away from his family ultimately became the dominant factor in Moreira’s decision to return to Brazil and to, ultimately, hand in his Hong Kong riding license.
While his riding future is not set in stone, Moreira does expect to make a quick return visit to Hong Kong to ride two Japanese horses, Resistencia and Lei Papale, in Hong Kong’s showpiece International Races meeting on December 11 at Sha Tin.
“I want to make sure that when I get back there, I can show my appreciation for all the support I’ve got and for all the happy memories that I’ll be keeping in my mind and in my heart,” Moreira told the South China Morning Post.
“I took this opportunity to set up a farewell and express a little bit of love. Not only to those people who helped me out, but also to the club, the public and everyone else who has contributed to my success in Hong Kong. I want a proper ending because the way I left a few months ago is not how I want it to end in Hong Kong.”
Beyond that Moreira has cited the possibility of a global farewell tour in 2023 which would include appearances in Australia, Japan, Europe, and Brazil.