Tony Cruz began his racing career in 1973, and was among the first apprentices of the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Apprentice Jockeys’ School when it opened in 1972. He went on to win a whopping 946 races in Hong Kong, which remains a record, and is a six-time champion jockey in the city.
Upon retiring from riding in 1996, he became a trainer, which has proven to be an equally prosperous role. Cruz famously trained the great Hong Kong champion Silent Witness to 17 consecutive wins. Here, he talks about the thrill of the ride, common misconceptions about the racing world and his hope for the future of the sport.
When he saw that I
