Hewitson will be home for Christmas

Jockey Lyle Hewitson will quit Hong Kong next month and return to South Africa.

The popular South African plans to leave just before Christmas, and the Jockey Club accepted his request to withdraw his licence, with the move effective from December 24.

He will return to his home country for “personal reasons” following a long stint in the city that has seen him secure 177 winners to date.

The 29-year-old first arrived in Hong Kong in 2019 on a six-month contract, where he rode a trio of winners, before returning in November 2021 after success in South Africa and Japan.

Some immediate momentum was stunted by a horror fall in December 2021’s Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint (1200m), where he was dislodged from Amazing Star while leading and suffered a fractured pelvis.

He made a remarkable return to riding in January 2022, however, and went on to close the season out with 27 winners.

Hewitson built on that in the 2022-23 season by riding 50 winners, before raising his bat for his Hong Kong century in the following campaign.

He was forced back on the sidelines at the end of the 2024-25 season, when he broke his wrist and ankle at Happy Valley in June, but quickly picked himself up by riding his first group winner in the form of Speed Dragon in the Group 3 January Cup over 1800m in January of this year.

He ended last season with 27 winners on the board, but this go-around has been a struggle, with Hewitson posting just one winner so far this campaign to take his total tally to 177.

South African Champion Jockey in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2020-21, he will return to the scene of his eight Group 1 victories, including a recent top-level triumph aboard Erik Dubios in the Group 1 Premiers Champion Stakes for trainer Louis Goosen back in July. – South China Morning Post