Embarking on a global journey, Joseph Chan, a Hong Kong product, is relishing the hands-on experience of stewarding in Britain. After years of honing his skills with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Chan has embraced his inaugural season as a stipendiary steward for the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). This move marks a significant milestone, as he is the first Hong Kong-trained steward to venture into another major racing jurisdiction.
Since March of this year, Chan has been plying his trade in the United Kingdom, bringing a fresh perspective to the world of horse racing. "After more than six years as a cadet stipe at the Jockey Club, I wanted to see some more horse racing around the world when I was still young," Chan shared.
At 30 years old, Chan felt the time was ripe to broaden his horizons. "I wanted to see more of what’s happening around the globe, and I thought the best chance was to start my journey now." Having spent most of his life in Hong Kong – "I come from a middle-class family and didn’t have a chance to study abroad" – Chan was eager for a change and quickly adapted to his new career in Britain.
"Here you have a lot of hands-on experience," Chan explained. "In Hong Kong, you have five stipendiary stewards and three cadets during a race day, but here you have only two stewards and one race day assistant." This difference translates to a more immersive experience for Chan.
This means he takes on more responsibility. "You have to report the races by yourself, which would normally be done by the chief steward in Hong Kong. Here it’s mostly done yourself, and because there’s not many stewards at a meeting, you have to do the binoculars, report all the incidents, and we’ve got different whip rules compared to Hong Kong – you have to count all the strikes yourself, which is a new technique for me because I didn’t have to do that back in my days in Hong Kong."
Chan is part of the "south" bracket of BHA stewards, working at prestigious racecourses like Ascot, Windsor, Lingfield Park, Kempton Park, Epsom, and Goodwood. He's thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to put his Hong Kong training into practice. "You can really test yourself and what you’ve learned at the Jockey Club and you can test whether you can apply those skills here, because now you really have the experience to question the jockeys and to deal with interesting cases," he said.
But here's where it gets controversial... Chan recounted a specific instance at Windsor during the summer where a false start led to all jockeys being banned for 10 days for failing to stop when the false-start flag was raised. "We had to call them all in and give the days to them and you have to explain to the public and the press why you have come up with this decision," Chan explained. "The rules in the UK state that if they pull up they can go back and race again, so that’s why they got banned for not pulling up. You won’t experience this type of situation in Hong Kong and you have to make decisions in split seconds."
Chan considers the recent Champions Day at Ascot – which saw an impressive win by Calandagan in the Group One Champion Stakes (2,000m) – and Sandown’s Coral-Eclipse Day as the highlights of his first season in the UK. "When you go into those state-of-the-art racecourses you expect it should be a good day and all the jockeys mostly will behave themselves. You can just enjoy the day," he said.
While Chan isn't planning on leaving Britain anytime soon, his time with the BHA could be the first step in a global racing tour. He's open to the possibilities, including a potential return to Hong Kong. "You never know. I would say at this age I would prefer to have more experience before I make this decision," Chan said when asked about returning home. "I will keep working for the BHA and if there’s a chance to have a look in the Middle East or even Australia, that would be great, but it’s too early to say whether I will get back to Hong Kong."
And this is the part most people miss... The shift from the structured environment of Hong Kong racing to the more independent role in Britain offers a unique perspective. It highlights the differences in stewarding practices and the importance of adapting to new rules and regulations.
What are your thoughts on the differences in stewarding practices between Hong Kong and the UK? Do you think the hands-on approach in Britain provides a better learning experience for stewards? Share your opinions in the comments below!
