Ryan Curatolo
Ryan Curatolo is a 23-year-old jockey originally from Marseilles in France who came to Macau two-and-a-half years ago after a friend who was involved in the local circuit recommended that he proceed with his career here.
He was trained in Paris between the ages of 14 and 18, before moving to the U.S. to compete at an apprentice level in cities such as Miami, New York and Los Angeles.
Since arriving in Macau he has accrued over 50 wins, including winning the Macau Guineas Group One in 2014 with a horse named “Hostwin Donnatello.”
Curatolo’s success led him briefly back to Paris last month, where he received an award from the French government called, “Young Hope of 2016,” for young and up-and-coming French expatriates.
Macau Daily Times (MDT) – What brought you to Macau?
Ryan Curatolo (RC) – When I was in the USA I won about 185 races in total over two-and-a-half years between 2010 and 2013, which eventually led to an opportunity to come to Macau in the winter [of 2013].
I had a friend who was running in Macau at the time. We met for dinner in New York and he said, ‘you know, you should go to Macau. There is a good vibe there and a good life there.’ So I checked online and I thought okay let’s apply to come to Macau. Who knows what is going to happen?
After my application was accepted I was only supposed to compete here for three months, but the three months went so well that I decided to stay and it’s now been more than two years.
It’s been a great experience in Macau and I have met a lot of good and interesting people along the way. But it’s a different culture and you have to adapt and sometimes that’s not easy.
MDT – How popular is horse racing and the Jockey Club in general in Macau?
RC – People in Macau are more into casinos than horse racing when they come here. In Hong Kong the only gambling that is allowed is horse racing so visitors cannot bet outside of this [area]. In Macau people have so much choice that they are more likely to go to the casinos than to the horse races. Probably because they find it more interesting.
There are less people [attending the competitions] than there used to be. When I first arrived in 2013 the popularity had already fallen, but it has not been affected [by the slowdown in gaming]. Since then, the number of attendees is mostly at the same level, but I couldn’t tell you how many people exactly.
It seems that there are a lot of people who don’t know about it. When I talk to people about it most of them seem surprised to find out that there is a racing track at all. I think that the Jockey Club has a lot of potential, but what they also need is more [horse] owners.
MDT – How are the horses treated at the Jockey Club? What do you make of concerns for their welfare?
RC – They treat the horses really well in Macau.
MDT – Really?
RC – Yes, seriously. I have heard some complaints before from some of the owners in Hong Kong because of previous incidents there [in Hong Kong]. But in Macau it is much better and they treat the horses well.
In my experience – because I have raced in many places – the horse trainers in Macau are very professional. They use the right medication, the right vitamins for the horses, they feed them well, and so on. And in regards to the training – they know what they’re doing.
I believe that in France the care given to the horses is among the best – and I say that not just because I am from France, but because over there we don’t use any medication or drugs. But in the U.S. they use a lot of medication and there are a lot of horses that get injuries because they are pushed too hard and raced too often. Actually in Macau we don’t see a lot of horses get injuries. It’s a lot safer.
There is also a park behind the track and the horses go there for some space and to play [socialize] with the other horses.
MDT – What are your thoughts on the issue of the treatment of dogs at the Canidrome?
RC – I have been to the dog racing many times. The place is very old; they need to renovate the whole place. I don’t know what is going on inside. I can’t really judge because I don’t know. (…) I believe that these types of dogs – the greyhounds – are born to run, to go fast. It’s not a little dog that they force [to run]. If they don’t want to run when the gate opens, they won’t. But you can see that they really have the intention to run by themselves. Aside from that I’m not really familiar with what goes on.
MDT – A recent investigation by ABC’s “The 7:30 Report” suggests that the track is too hard for the dogs, that they are kept in unsanitary conditions, and that they are killed once they are unable to compete. What do you make of this?
RC – Oh, I didn’t know that. I have heard things that suggest that they don’t treat the dogs that well, but I didn’t know that it was about the track being too hard and that they killed the dogs [afterward].
They really need to renew the track as part of the renovation. Actually the whole place is in really bad condition, as I said. When I visited before I noticed that the facilities are not well maintained, but I don’t really know anything about the treatment of the dogs.
As a jockey I love the horses, and you really need to love them. Equally if you are training [and racing] the dogs, you need to love them too. Without the animal there is no race. For me, as a jockey, without the horse I am not a jockey, right?
Macau derby draws closer
The SJM Macau Derby 2016 will take place this year on April 17, featuring seven races within the local racecourse. It will include the Main Derby, the Macau-Hong Kong Trophy, the Chairman’s Challenge Cup, the Grand Lisboa Cup, the Sand Classic Cup, the Oceanus Cup, and the Lisboa Challenge Final, with prizes ranging between hundreds of thousands to millions of Hong Kong dollars. Now in its fourteenth consecutive year of SJM title sponsorship, the event is “the day when every [local] jockey wants to shine as we will be competing with jockeys and horses from the Hong Kong Jockey Club,” according to jockey, Ryan Curatolo. “It is a hard race to win,” Curatolo admits, “but with a good horse and some luck it is possible!” Daniel Beitler
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