There will be no short-term Hong Kong stint for Joao Moreira in 2025, with the Jockey Club declaring the riding roster full for the first half of the season.

While trainer Caspar Fownes had stated his intentions to bring Moreira back to Hong Kong as his stable rider from October to December, the Jockey Club confirmed on Thursday that “there is no availability for retained jockeys”.

After announcing on Wednesday that James McDonald, Hollie Doyle, Maxime Guyon and Dylan Browne McMonagle will spend varying amounts of time in Hong Kong from November to March, Jockey Club executive manager of licensing, Terry Bailey, said in a statement on Thursday that any jockey eyeing a stable role would have to wait.

“Having regard to the roster of jockeys already licensed for the first half of the 2025-26 racing season, the club has determined that there is no availability for retained jockeys over this period,” said the statement.

“Applications for retained jockeys for a period of the 2025-26 racing season after February 17, 2026 should be submitted to the executive manager, licensing by December 1, 2025.”

Jockey Club executive director of racing, Andrew Harding, said the decision was based on a number of factors.

“The club’s planning for licensing jockeys takes place months in advance,” he said. “It balances all of the relevant factors, including resilience of the roster, spread of riding weights, introducing new emerging overseas talents, incorporating top overseas talent, opportunities for local jockeys to develop and the licensing of new 10lb claiming apprentices.

“Ensuring the numbers are sustainable and give all jockeys a reasonable opportunity to obtain rides and build their careers here is an important consideration.

“Jockeys who accept invitations to ride in Hong Kong make a significant personal investment, in many cases relocating families and enrolling children in new schools. Forward planning by the club is essential.

“At the commencement of season 2025-26 the club’s jockeys’ roster has a total of 23 jockeys. As part of the club’s strategy for recruitment of overseas jockeys the club has decided to grant four visiting jockey licences for various periods during the winter months.

“There is no capacity to add retained jockeys to the roster over this period without undermining the club’s recruitment strategy and being unfair to the jockeys who have already made commitments to ride in Hong Kong.

“If any trainer is interested in having a retained jockey in the second half of the season they can submit an application by the beginning of December so that it can be considered when we carry out our half-year review.”

The news will come as a blow to Fownes, who had spoken about how keen he was to have Moreira as part of the stable, firstly for his brilliance on the racetrack and secondly so that he could mentor stable apprentice Ellis Wong Chi-wang.

Four-time champion Fownes sits top of the trainers’ premiership after four meetings following a four-timer at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. He would have been hoping a couple of months with Moreira on board could have really helped him lay a foundation for a title push.

Moreira, who has spent time riding in the likes of his native Brazil, Australia and Japan since leaving Hong Kong in 2022, could still be seen at Sha Tin in the first half of the 2025-26 season, most likely at December’s Longines Hong Kong International Races on a one-day licence.

At least for now, Hong Kong fans must stop salivating at the prospect of Zac Purton v McDonald v Moreira, but they will still have a loaded riding roster to cheer on, with the possibility that 26 jockeys will be jostling for mounts later this year.