Champion Hong Kong jockey Douglas Whyte will compete during the Melbourne spring carnival for the first time after being booked to ride the Chris Waller-trained Junoob in Saturday week’s Caulfield Cup.
Whyte is the latest international star Waller has called on for a major race ride.
He lured the Hong Kong-based Zac Purton to Sydney to win the Doncaster Mile and George Main Stakes aboard Sacred Falls and last weekend combined with the globe-trotting Joao Moreira to claim the Epsom Handicap with He’s Your Man.
Moreira, Whyte and Purton are the top three jockeys in Hong Kong and the trio all have Caulfield Cup bookings with Moreira to partner Gris Caro and Purton will be on the Japanese horse Admire Rakti.
Junoob emerged as a Caulfield Cup chance with a strong staying performance to win the Metropolitan in Sydney on Epsom day.