M F Poon

Matthew Poon joined Hong Kong’s race-riding ranks in March 2017 and landed a win on his first raceday but also suffered an injury that sidelined him for three weeks. Upon returning, he quickly amassed 20 wins, which reduced his 10lb claim, all within 14 fixtures and 112 rides. Poon undertook his overseas training in South Australia, beginning in June 2015, and was based with leading trainer Richard Jolly. His first race ride, a winner, came in October of that year. At the end of his first season in July 2016, he was crowned South Australia Champion Apprentice with 51 wins. His second season in Adelaide saw him ride 65 winners, and by the time of his departure for Hong Kong in March 2017, he was sitting second in the South Australian jockeys’ championship. He began his Hong Kong career with an overall record of 117 wins from 862 rides at a rate of 13.57%. His first Pattern victory came aboard Faaltless in the 2017 SIN G3 Garden City Trophy in Singapore, and he gained a second in the 2018 SIN G3 Jumbo Jet Trophy at Kranji. He also won the G3 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy in 2019 atop Jolly Banner. Their association continued in the 2019/20 season, when Poon partnered the gelding to win the G3 Premier Cup, one of 29 wins that term. Poon amassed a personal-best 37 wins in the 2020/21 season, including a pair of Group 3 triumphs in the Centenary Vase and Queen Mother Memorial Cup. He achieved his 200th Hong Kong victory aboard Ka Ying Spirit in November 2022. He recorded 36 wins in the 2024/25 season, including his first Group 2 success in the Chairman’s Trophy on Straight Arron, and finished the season on a high note by winning the Tony Cruz Award for the first time. Winning the G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup with Romantic Thor was the highlight of his 2025/26 season, a campaign he ended with 27 wins. Achievements:South Australia Champion Apprentice (2015/16); Tony Cruz Award (2024/25). Notable Wins Include:G2 Chairman’s Trophy (2025 Straight Arron), G3 Centenary Vase (2021 Glorious Dragon, 2022 Zebrowski), G3 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy (2019 Jolly Banner), G3 Premier Cup (2020 Jolly Banner), G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup (2021 Butterfield, 2026 Romantic Thor), SIN G3 Garden City Trophy (2017 Faaltless), SIN G3 Jumbo Jet Trophy (2018 Preditor). Hong Kong Career Wins (at start of 2026/27 season):295 (win strike rate 6.3%).