How do you solve a problem like Manfred? If you’re the Jockey Club, you don’t watch The Sound of Music and sing along with the nuns. No, if you run Hong Kong racing, you go through Manfred Man Ka-leung’s recent results with a fine-tooth comb and make more revisions to your frequently updated policies on extending trainer licences beyond specific retirement ages.

Early last season, Man was desperate for clarity from the Jockey Club regarding his future, with the letter of the organisation’s own laws pointing to him having to call time on his training career at the end of the 2022-23 campaign because Lucky Sweynesse’s likeable handler would celebrate his 66th birthday on July 18.

In February, five months after Man’s public plea for the Jockey Club to make a call – ideally in his favour – the powers-that-be found a way to extend his licence into this term, arguing the sexagenarian was still 65 when the 2022-23 season finished on July 16.

On Thursday, in addition to confirming the worst-kept secret in Hong Kong racing – that British trainer David Eustace will dissolve his partnership with Australian handler Ciaron Maher and run his own stable out of Sha Tin next year – the Jockey Club tweaked its rules for the umpteenth time and extended Man’s licence into 2024-25, with the potential for the quietly spoken conditioner to work until the end of 2028-29.

According to the Jockey Club’s revised policy document on trainer licences, for extension beyond the age of 66 (until the age of 70), one of the five criteria – and the one that Man conveniently satisfies – is to “have achieved multiple individual Pattern Race (International Group races and 4-YO series races) winners (including at least one International Group 1 individual winner) across preceding three racing seasons prior to reaching the age of 66”.

For readers who prefer plain English, Man meets the standard because his star sprinter, Lucky Sweynesse, has won at least one Group One race during the qualifying period – he’s won plenty – and his progressive miler, Encountered, brought Group Three success to the veteran horseman’s yard when he was victorious in the Ladies’ Purse (1,800m) at Sha Tin seven weeks ago.

First, there was the John Moore Rule. Then, there was the John Size Rule. Now, there’s the Good Horses Rule.

Eustace latest Maher protégé to go solo

Even though the Jockey Club’s licensing of Eustace is big news in Hong Kong, it’s an even bigger deal in Australia because the Briton is leaving one of the country’s largest training operations with bases at multiple sites in Victoria and New South Wales.

Last season, Eustace and his training partner, Ciaron Maher, had 1,890 runners across Australia – only Chris Waller (2,316) had more. It’s a similar story this season, with the duo about 100 starters behind Waller.

There’s no doubt Maher, a 10-time Group One-winning handler in his own right whose coaching tree includes, among others, Hong Kong visitor Annabel Neasham, will survive without Eustace by his side, but will he prosper? It’ll be fascinating to see how both men fare. Who knows? Maybe Maher will travel a horse to take on Eustace in a Sha Tin race down the track.

Ng four meetings short of equalling record

Pierre Ng Pang-chi extended his remarkable streak of consecutive meetings with at least one winner to 14 on Wednesday when Life Is Good and Healthy Healthy were triumphant on Happy Valley’s eight-race programme.

However, now we know Ng’s active sequence isn’t a Hong Kong record yet. Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges revealed in his latest blog Jerry Ng Chi-lam celebrated victories at 18 meetings in a row from January 1, 1973 to May 19, 1973.

Ng Chi-lam is no longer with us. Sadly, neither is Alan Gollogly, who passed away this week. Gollogly, who died aged 72, spent eight months riding in Hong Kong during the 1970s. The Australian Turf Club has named one of Saturday’s 10 Randwick races in honour of Gollogly. Rest in peace, Jock.