Vincent Ho eyes late-season return as he takes concussion recovery one step at a time

South China Morning Post

31-03-2025

Vincent Ho Chak-yiu could make his return from injury during the final months of the 2024-25 season, however the leading local jockey has confirmed he won't be putting any pressure on himself to be back by a certain date.
Ho suffered a serious head injury and minor shoulder and neck fractures in a race fall on February 9 – his fourth tumble in little more than 18 months.
'We'll see. Maybe end of May or June or somewhere like this,' Ho told the Talking With Fen show in an episode published on Monday.
'Actually maybe to start racing by then, but of course I need time to get back on the horse and see how it feels and gallop more and [ride in] trials until I feel good, and then we'll start racing.
'There's no certain time for me. I don't try to set up a certain time to put pressure on myself. To let it heal is more important.'
Ho, who said he has experienced headaches and dizziness during his recovery, emphasised how important it has been to take his rehabilitation one step at a time.
'Some concussion symptoms can take years to recover for some people,' said Ho, who was also concussed when falling from Super Win Dragon at Sha Tin in December.
'Because the December one and the one lately were so close, that will have some influences into this one. Of course, the closer it gets, the next one will be more severe. That's how it works.
'The last two were quite close so this one is a little bit more severe than normal and it takes probably a bit more time to recover fully.
'If you fracture something, you can still push on a little bit. If it's stable enough you can still go ahead and keep on doing your sport.
'But with the brain, it's better off to bounce back 100 per cent before you go for another try on your sport. It's like – can [you] handle another, even a light concussion?
'You have to take the risk so it's better you are completely healed in the brain and you don't have to think about if you will get another shock to the head.'
Ho will travel to Switzerland in April – like he did after his fall in Japan in 2023 – as he ramps up his rehabilitation.
'I feel good now. [I'm] ready to do some more intensive stuff for rehab and training. [I'm] looking forward to that,' Ho said.
'I still go to the gym every day, do some brain and cognitive workout training to help myself to get back as soon as possible, but I can't rush too much.
'Since the Japan fall I've had the connection to do rehab in Switzerland at the Olympic rehab centre with a lot of sports teams.
'We'll have some training and testing for concussion. I think they are a bit more advanced with concussion rehab than us in Hong Kong at the moment.
'They know the limit when to push and when not to push. I can rely on them, because if I do it by myself I tend to push harder than normal.
'There are a few times that I don't feel well afterwards because I just overdid it. It's good to go and push almost to the limit but not quite. I will improve faster.'