Fresh from booting home a winner apiece at Sha Tin on Thursday, Richard Kingscote and James Orman’s start to the new year got even better when their licences were extended until the end of the Hong Kong season.

The Jockey Club on Friday confirmed the extensions from February 18 to the season finale on July 12, with both riders elated by the announcement.

It can be tough going in one of the world’s most competitive riding ranks and that has been the case for Kingscote, who battled a winless streak of 104 rides to start the season before breaking through on Loch Tay at Sha Tin in November.

Kingscote made a big commitment by moving to the city with his wife Ashleigh and their two young sons and the Jockey Club rewarded the Briton by extending his licence.

“Obviously that was a goal and luckily the club have let us stay,” Kingscote said.

“Earlier on it took a good while to get that first winner, but I’ve been getting a nice bit of support and earning my way. I’m working hard on my weight and getting to China a bit now to do some trials in Conghua which helps.

“The wife’s happy, the kids are happy and it’s nice that we’re settling in.”

While a haul of 15 seconds and 13 thirds has frustrated Kingscote, the 39-year-old has snagged another three victories since breaking his drought, including the impressive Rising Force who was plunged from $16 to $3.35 on New Year’s Day.

“He showed a lot of speed from that barrier [14]. Hopefully he can progress,” Kingscote said of the Ricky Yiu Poon-fai-trained Rising Force.

“The seconds and thirds have been frustrating. Over here I think people don’t really look that horses are running well for you – only winners count. Hopefully some of them can go in for me.

“I’ve got a few trainers still trying to help me so that’s good. I’ve got seven months now to get my head down and get to the end of the season. We’ll just do the best we possibly can, keep hunting and see if the club will keep me here for another year. It’s a great place to live, we enjoy being here and the club has been fantastic. We’ll see what happens.”

Orman, the tallest rider in the Hong Kong weighing room at 177cm, has ridden 25 winners since starting in the city on a short-term contract last February.

The Australian has struck top form in the past three weeks, notching six winners from as many meetings to sit just outside the top 10 in the championship on 12 winners for the season.

“I’ve been lucky I’ve picked up a few nice horses in the right races which has helped. Joy Capital’s win [on New Year’s Day] was a bit of a surprise though, but we’ll take what we can get, that’s for sure,” Orman said.

Like Kingscote, Orman made the move with his wife and two young children and it has proved fruitful.

“It feels like home. We’ve settled in well, so everything’s been good,” the 28-year-old said.

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep up the form from the last six meetings, but if I can just keep getting two or three a month, that would be ideal. That would put me at 20 to 30 winners for the season which would be good, but I don’t want to make too high a goal and be disappointed.”

Orman has five rides at Sha Tin on Sunday, including Group One victor Invincible Sage in the Group Three Bauhinia Sprint Trophy (1,000m).

“If he can hit a bit of form again, you never know. He’s a class horse, he’s just got to bounce back to form,” Orman said of the David Hall-trained gelding, who hasn’t won since his Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1,200m) victory in 2024.

“Pope Cody’s drawn barrier 11, but Something Jonah in race one’s a bit of a chance from a good draw [in barrier three].”