The 22-year-old became the latest Australian jockey to be granted a contract in Hong Kong on Thursday and he plans to make the most of it. He has always been one to set goals and his development from champion apprentice to group 1 jockey came on the back of a remarkable autumn carnival in Sydney.

"I went into the carnival wanting to get that group 1. I had confidence I could do it but until you do you are always questioning yourself," Clipperton said. "Hong Kong had been a goal but I thought it would take me a couple of years to get there, but things have happened quickly.

"The autumn was like the breakthrough, first Peeping and then English. It has opened doors and now I have to take advantage of it when I get over to Hong Kong."

Clipperton won the Coolmore Classic on Peeping for mentor Ron Quinton before he steered English to victory in the All Aged Stakes to put himself onto the Hong Kong Jockey Club radar as a lightweight option for its riding ranks.

He will head to Hong Kong next month in preparation for next season, which starts in September. Clipperton will continue to ride in Sydney until July 23 and has set his sights on returning for group 1 rides during the spring, but the priority will be succeeding in Hong Kong.

"I have three months to start, so I want to make a mark over there and get an extension if possible. It is a great chance but I know it is going to be tough, so I want to get over there early to ride trackwork and start to make contacts," Clipperton said. "It is different because you have to do all your bookings yourself over there and relationships are important."

Clipperton is determined to finish the next couple of weeks in Sydney on high and takes a handy book of a half dozen rides at Randwick on Saturday.

"I want to keep riding winners in the next couple of weeks because I want to leave a good impression," Clipperton said. "I have some nice rides at Randwick on Saturday and a couple of them look like they are going to handle the testing conditions.

"I think Miss Amajardan in the first [race] and Fat Chap could have a fitness edge on their rivals. Fat Chap is coming off a strong win at Kembla on Monday and the quick back-up should make him hard to beat.

"He is one of two for Gai Waterhouse and I think Flamboyant Lass is right in the mix as well."

Meanwhile, James McDonald took out his first black-type win in England, steering Big Orange to victory in the Princess Of Wales Stakes on the first day of the Newmarket July meeting on Thursday. Big Orange was fifth in the last year's Melbourne Cup and made all the running in the group 2 to score a convincing 2-1/2 length win.

Racing Queensland announced Elliot Forbes as its chief executive on Friday. Forbes had worked in Dubai before being the chief executive of Tasracing.