Vincent Ho: the rider Ryan Moore recommended who is up for the Shergar Cup

If you have been paying close attention you will have spotted the name CY Ho popping up on racecards occasionally in recent weeks.

The Hong Kong-based Vincent Ho has been over in Britain for several weeks riding out and picking up the odd race ride for Mark Johnston. After a successful stint last year, Ho has again turned his summer holiday from the jurisdiction where he finished fourth in the jockeys' championship last season into a busman's and is reaping the reward.

A 27 per cent strike-rate, with three wins from 11 rides, is exactly why Ryan Moore vouched for him and put him in touch with Johnston, and for the 29-year-old Hong Kong native British racing is an incredible schooling ground.

"When Ryan came to the International [Hong Kong's December meeting] a few years ago I asked him about maybe riding out here," says Ho. "He was very helpful and supportive and told me to contact Mr Johnston, and he said if there was any problem to get them to call him.

"Luckily Mr Johnston said I could ride out from him and he gave me some support last year, and again this year.

"I'm learning different things, riding on different racetracks and learning a lot more. In Hong Kong we only race at two tracks for ten months, over here you ride against all different jockeys on different tracks and it makes me think a lot more. It makes my mind open up a lot more."

And the tracks are not the only difference. "The racecourses here are so different," he adds. "But so is the training.

"Horses pick up a lot earlier here. From three and a half, four furlongs out they really start picking up. In Hong Kong we jump and you have to get your position really quickly, that's also different."

Ho, who rides in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot this weekend, has a few weeks of his stay left, and adds: "I'll stay for two more weeks, I just want to get as many race rides as I can at different racetracks so I can learn as much as possible."

Ho's thirst for self-improvement is part of his desire to be involved at Ascot. He says: "I'm looking forward to it. I've never ridden Ascot, so that will be a challenge itself. It will be great fun to ride in it – I'm riding with and against some of the top jockeys in the world. It's one of the only events where we 'team up' to race, so it's quite different.

"It's a great chance to learn – all the top jockeys around the world come to Hong Kong and I can race against them and watch them closely, and this is another chance to do that."

Ho has long been a fan of British racing and studies several of the top jockeys from afar. "I like to watch races around the world to pick jockeys to learn from. In Britain there's Frankie and Ryan. William Buick, James Doyle, Gerald Mosse. In France, Christophe Soumillon, Maxime Guyon. In Hong Kong I'm always racing against them so I get to see them up close."

Hong Kong is where he grew up, it is where he was champion apprentice in 2010-11. It is where he got his love for the sport, but not how you might think.

"None of my family members have touched or are involved in horses, I'm the first one," he says. "They weren't even interested.

"My Dad would sometimes watch it on Sunday and me and my mum would watch for half an hour and then go out because it was so boring!"

His view changed when he got involved in equestrian sports at 12 – and enrolled in the apprentice programme at 16. He has come a long way in that time, finishing behind only Zac Purton, Joao Moreira and Karis Teetan last campaign. And in his trip to Britain – and Scotland where he has ridden three winners, one each at Ayr, Musselbugh and Hamilton – he has been present for Johnston's record-breaking month.

Ho is too humble to take all the credit, but Johnston has never had 50 winners in a month without him. Ask him what it was like however and he is sheepish.

"I wouldn't even say I'm part of the team," he exclaims. "I've only just arrived and I've nothing to do with his success, but to ride out and learn from them while he was doing what he did last month was a great opportunity. It was very impressive."

A bit like Ho then. He is a young rider grinding his way to the top, creating opportunities to learn, better himself and be the best. On Saturday, win, lose or draw, he will make sure he is a better rider because of it.

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