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Australian jockey Gavin
McKeon, 29, will be fulfilling a long-time dream to ride in Singapore when
he arrives here next month to begin a three-month stint.
Currently based in New Zealand where he first rode as an apprentice in 2005
when he landed 11 winners in a one-month stint, McKeon has been granted a
permit to ride at Kranji from April 18 to Aug 3.
While still an apprentice in Queensland in 2005, McKeon said in an
interview: “When I come out of my time I’ll apply to ride in Singapore and
Macau, but Singapore has always been my No. 1 option.
“A lot of jockeys want to win a Melbourne Cup but I want to travel the
world,” he declared.
Soon after he completed his apprenticeship in April 2005, McKeon rode in
Macau but enjoyed limited success there due to lack of opportunities.
Now, he will be hoping for better fortunes in Singapore to add to his 350
wins so far. And the jockey who has a late start to his career in the saddle
has the form to back him up.
Champion apprentice in Brisbane and champion Queensland apprentice in 2005,
McKeon’s two seasons in New Zealand have been fruitful. He finished fourth
in the jockeys premiership in 2006/07 and currently sits in fifth position
this season. He was the top jockey at Ellerslie in 2007.
McKeon, who represented Australia at the Mauritius International Apprentice
Series in 2005, had won 22 Group and Listed races – with nine coming at
Group 1 level – including four on champion New Zealand mare SEACHANGE in the
Mudgway Stakes, Stoney Bridge Stakes, The Telegraph Handicap and Waikato
Draught Sprint.
Last Dec 5, McKeon won the Avondale Gold Cup on SPIN AROUND, a horse who
broke down after winning four races in Hong Kong but returned to New Zealand
and eventually became a Group 1 winner.
Last Saturday, McKeon booted home five winners at Trentham. It was the
second five-winner feat of his career, the first coming at Rockhampton, in
Queensland, when he was an apprentice.  |
