Co-trainers John O’Shea, Tom Charlton are all aboard the ‘Poon Train’ as star Hong Kong Matthew Poon partners Klondike in Doomben Cup

‘I don’t think the occasion will get to him at all’: ‘Poon Train’ backed to handle the pressure of Group 1 Doomben Cup

Matthew Poon, nicknamed the ‘Poon Train’, at the National Railway Museum in Adelaide in 2017 before he returned to ride in Hong Kong. Picture: Calum Robertson

All aboard the ‘Poon Train’ bound for Saturday’s Group 1 Doomben Cup.

Hong Kong jockey Matthew Poon, who cut his teeth as an apprentice under South Australian trainer Richard Jolly, will ride English import Klondike for co-trainers John O’Shea and Tom Charlton in the $1m feature race over 2000m.

And Jolly believes riding the 50-1 chance in the Doomben Cup will be like a walk in the park for the 31-year-old Poon compared to the intense pressure of racing in the Asian mecca of Hong Kong.

Poon worked under Jolly for two years from 2015, riding 117 winners and being crowned South Australia Champion Apprentice jockey in the 2015-16 season.

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“I still keep in contact with him regularly on WhatsApp,” Jolly said.

“Me and my mates usually go over there for the International meeting (in December) and catch up with him. He’s a good kid.

“He progressed through the ranks really quickly (in South Australia) and has become one of the top 10 jockeys in Hong Kong.”

Charlton and O’Shea have only been in charge of five-year-old Klondike for just one race – the Group 3 JRA Plate (2000m) at Randwick last month when he finished 10th – after the lightly-raced gelding was transferred from William Haggas’ stable.

KLONDIKE shows plenty of heart to justify favouritism and defy the closing Salt Bay @yorkracecourse

Listed success for the son of Galileo 🥇pic.twitter.com/FdGDk43JMp

— The Racing App (@TheRacingApp) June 15, 2024

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“He’s a nice staying horse, he wants further than 2000m,” Charlton said about the son of Galileo.

“He’ll be one where we’ll probably see the best of him in the spring.”

Charlton said the Caulfield Cup (2400m) and Melbourne Cup (3200m) were possible spring targets for Klondike.

Klondike is a $101 chance in the TAB in its all-in market for the Doomben Cup ahead of final acceptances at 9am on Tuesday.

Poon secured the Doomben Cup ride on Klondike through the horse’s owner, Matthew Li Man-hei, who asked him to take on the hit-and-run mission.

Currently seventh in the Hong Kong Jockeys Premiership with 34 victories, Poon nabbed a career-best win aboard Straight Arron in the $A1m Group 2 Chairman’s Trophy (1600m) at Sha Tin in late March.

But don’t for a moment think that Poon will be letting success go to his head.

“He’s a really good lad, there was no fanfare about him,” Jolly said.

“All he did was eat, sleep and ride. He was really focused on where he wanted to go in his career and he’s achieved it.

“I couldn’t say a bad thing about him. He’s got to where he has through his determination and he just wanted to strive to get better all the time.”

Originally published as Co-trainers John O’Shea, Tom Charlton are all aboard the ‘Poon Train’ as star Hong Kong Matthew Poon partners Klondike in Doomben Cup