Happy Valley prepped and ready for one last Whyte night

Anyone who has been to Paris on Prix de l‘Arc de Triomphe weekend will be familiar with the concept of Nuit Blanche - or White Night - a yearly cultural event which sees galleries and museums stay open round the clock to celebrate artists and their work.

A different type of artist will be honoured at Happy Valley this Wednesday (30 January) but a packed crowd will salute a very special “Whyte Night” as the most dominant jockey in Hong Kong history graces the city venue for the final time.

A week has passed since Douglas Whyte announced that he will retire from the saddle on 10 February to take up training, after a career which has spanned three decades and produced 13 consecutive Hong Kong championships and well over 1800 winners.

Almost 600 of those successes have come at the Valley and the Durban Demon admits that emotions will run high during a night designed to honour his record-breaking career.

“Since this has all been released it's been like a roller-coaster!” Whyte said.

The South African, 47, has three rides at his downtown farewell and special plans will be in place for the last of those, which comes in race seven aboard the Tony Cruz-trained California Gungho. Win or lose, Whyte will trot his mount along the home straight after the race to salute the thousands of fans lining the running rail.

Whyte has long been renowned for his calm professionalism but admits he will be unsure what emotions will follow once he walks away from the Valley for the final time as a rider.

“Happy Valley is a unique track,” he reflected. “It's very unforgiving and there's no room for error but it's a beautiful track to ride if you get into a rhythm and find the positions.

“One of my highlights there was riding a five-timer on one of the few Sunday meetings and winning the International Jockeys' Championship three times is also definitely on the short list of very fond memories.

“This sort of thing doesn't sink in until it's all happened,” he added. “I'm not sure how it will feel - but I'm about to find out.”

A farewell Omen?

Whyte kicks off his night with newcomer Iron Bravo in the Class 4 Lambeth Handicap (1200m) and continues with Good Omen, who gave him a landmark 1800th success last October and returns to the Valley for the Class 2 Hong Kong Club Challenge Cup Handicap (1800m).

Good Omen (116lb) is fresh from a promising trial at the course and although he has finished behind rival Red Warrior (125lb) on both his last two starts, Whyte is optimistic that trainer Dennis Yip's gelding is primed to peak again.

“Good Omen has been good to me,” Whyte said. “He's been a work in progress but he's matured along the way and got better.

“I was very happy with the way he won his last trial. He attacked the line and really knuckled down. The key to him is that he has to switch off and settle, but he's in good form and if he gets into a rhythm then he's capable of producing a really nice turn of foot.”