The Jockey Club will declare "weighed in" today on the two of hottest favourites in racing - that Kim Kelly will take over from the departing Jamie Stier as chief steward and Sydney-based steward Steve Railton will take up the vacant position on the panel for next season, reports the HK Racing Post.It says: They are expected to be formally recorded today when the club holds its post-season media briefing.Kelly, 41, began his career in Queensland under Ray Murrihy before moving to Sydne

The Jockey Club will declare "weighed in" today on the two of hottest favourites in racing - that Kim Kelly will take over from the departing Jamie Stier as chief steward and Sydney-based steward Steve Railton will take up the vacant position on the panel for next season, reports the HK Racing Post.

It says: They are expected to be formally recorded today when the club holds its post-season media briefing.

Kelly, 41, began his career in Queensland under Ray Murrihy before moving to Sydney in late 1995 as a replacement for Stier when he moved to Hong Kong.

In Sydney, Kelly was again understudy to Murrihy and became his deputy chief prior to recruitment by the Jockey Club for the 2002-03 Hong Kong season.

After six years working under Stier, as well as holding the post of licensing committee secretary, Kelly's appointment has been considered a no-contest since Stier announced he would leave at the season's conclusion.

A straight talker who will vigorously defend an unpopular decision he believes to be right, Kelly has been groomed for the position virtually since his arrival and promises to prove a forceful hand in the chief's chair.

If the appointment of Kelly to the top job has been considered certain, expectation of the arrival of the highly regarded Railton, 52, has been almost as strong.

Kelly and Railton worked together in Queensland for many years before Kelly moved to Sydney and they have taken a similar path to get to Hong Kong.

After 28 years in Queensland racing, Railton lost his job as chief steward in 2003 when an administrative overhaul made the position redundant, but Murrihy snapped him up within weeks to join his team and Railton has most recently been his deputy chief.

As testament to the stewarding system in Australia, Kelly will be the third consecutive man in a row to arrive at the Hong Kong hot-seat through Sydney.

Railton will be the sixth successive new steward from there, following Stier, John Schreck, Martin Knibbs, Kelly and Philip Dingwall, though Dingwall arrived via a stint as chief stipe in Malaysia.