Weichong Marwing is waiting for the telephone call that will tell him if the most important ride of his career is back on track or a non-starter.
The South African was handed the dream assignment to partner Fairy King Prawn in the Yasuda Kinen on June 3 - only to have the plans put on hold when the Japanese authorities announced Hong Kong's champion horse would be refused entry as he constituted a foot-and-mouth disease risk.
While trainer Ivan Allan and the Hong Kong Jockey Club fight to have the decision reversed, Marwing can only stay at home in South Africa and await the outcome. 'I'm sure riding Fairy King Prawn in the Yasuda Kinen would be the biggest ride of my life, but what can I do?' he asked yesterday. 'I'm sitting patiently waiting for Ivan to call - and I am hoping.'
Missing out on the Group One Yasuda Kinen would be a huge disappointment to Marwing after his thrilling debut on Fairy King Prawn last Sunday. The South African - handed the assignment after Allan's well-publicised sacking of Robbie Fradd over riding tactics - described Hong Kong's champion as 'awesome' after they romped away to win the Chairman's Sprint Prize by four lengths at Sha Tin.
Marwing headed back to South Africa after the meeting, missing the furore after it was revealed the Japanese authorities had decided to ban Fairy King Prawn. The rider said: 'I had to leave fairly quickly after the meeting on Sunday and there is no reporting here of what is happening in Hong Kong racing. I haven't spoken to Ivan since the race so I really didn't know what was happening until I was looking on the Internet for something else.
'I don't really follow the racing when I am not in the middle of it so it was a surprise to me. I saw that there was a problem with foot-and-mouth disease and a ban on the race in Japan.'