Derby-winning jockey becomes latest British-based rider to move to Hong Kong

Derby-winning jockey Richard Kingscote is to become the latest British-based rider to move to Hong Kong. The 38-year-old has ridden more than 1,600 winners across the world including five at Group 1 level.

His biggest success was achieved on the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Desert Crown in the 2022 Epsom Derby on only his second ride in the Classic. He scored his latest of five Group 1 victories at Royal Ascot last week when he steered Time For Sandals to win the Commonwealth Cup.

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He has also ridden the winners of the Irish St Leger, on the Michael Owen-owned and bred Brown Panther, and the Champion Stakes.

Kingscote has ridden 36 winners in 2025 but the quality of his mounts has been reduced by the retirement of Stoute at the end of last year. He had only four rides at the five day Royal Ascot meeting.

Nevertheless he took advantage of an unexpected opportunity to visit Hong Kong earlier this year when he accepted an invitation to ride as an emergency replacement for ten meetings after a spate of falls in Hong which hospitalised four jockeys, including local stars Zac Purton and Vincent Ho.

He rode four winners and signed off with a treble at Sha Tin, winning on all three of his mounts.

Kingscote told Mirror Racing: "I am very much looking forward to it and it's a good opportunity. I am lucky that I do well here in Britain but this is a chance to try something new and if you don't try you never find out."

Kingscote has been granted a part-season licence by the Hong Kong Jockey Club which will start on July 17 and run up to February 17 2026, after which it could be extended.

He will join established former British-based jockeys Andrea Atzeni and Harry Bentley in one of the most competitive weighing rooms in the world.

Atzeni has ridden 54 winners in the current season and is third in the jockeys’ championship while Bentley has 30 wins.