LONGINES International Jockeys�� Championship report - Fukunaga takes the LONGINES IJC for Japan

10/12/2014

It was Japan’s night as Yuichi Fukunaga, twice the Champion Jockey in Japan, rode a double in the middle two legs of the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship to power him clear of his rivals and secure his first IJC crown at Happy Valley racecourse tonight.

James McDonald got his evening and the competition off to a flying start when winning the first leg of the LONGINES IJC on well fancied Expectator, from Joao Moreira aboard Golden Scalpel, with Zac Purton in third place on Win It.

McDonald had Expectator in the perfect spot three off the pace set by S’Manga Khumalo and Jade Pippo, and when he delivered the horse off the final turn the issue was never in doubt.

“I was very confident throughout the race. I knew that I was riding the best horse in the race, and I was in the right spot to use him. It’s a good start to the evening.”

Japan’s Yuichi Fukunaga joined McDonald at the head of affairs when taking the second leg of the Championship in the 1,000m sprint on the Almond Lee-trained Ocean Roar, while local jockey Vincent Ho opened his account with a second place finish for six points aboard Excel Oneself.  Hong Kong’s current leading rider Joao Moreira added to his tally with a third place finish on the Caspar Fownes-trained Family Interests.

Afterwards Fukunaga said: “I was told to lead or to sit handy, and that is what I did. It’s my first win at Happy Valley and I am very happy.”

Thus at the half way stage McDonald and Fukunaga were tied on 12 points, with Moreira in third with 10 points.

Yuichi Fukunaga put his hands on the victor’s trophy when riding his second winner of the night, taking the third leg on the Tony Millard trained Vara Pearl with a well-judged ride.

Fukunaga broke alertly for an early lead, but took his horse back to race in third before producing him again in the home straight to go clear of Joao Moreira and Elegance Klammer. Vincent Ho did best of the rest with a third place finish on Genuine Champion.

 “I pushed forward early as the trainer instructed me, and then let him settle. When I asked him to go through the gap in the straight he never hesitated,” was how Fukunaga described the win.

Going into the final leg Fukunaga led on 24 points with only Joao Moreira on 16 points from three placed efforts able to catch him, with first leg winner James McDonald on 12 points needing a win to tie. No one else was close enough to claim the crown.

In the final leg Fukunaga was unable to add to his tally on Wah May Baby, while McDonald’s second place finish with Sempiternal took his score to 18, with Moreira - despite scoring points in all four legs - finishing runner-up on 20, still short of Fukunaga’s winning total of 24. The victory in the fourth leg went to LONGINES World’s Best Jockey Ryan Moore, pointless in the first three legs, who in a patient ride produced Amazingly for trainer David Ferraris from mid division to run down his field.

Ryan Moore said of the win: “I had a good trip, and was comfortable through the race. When the gap came, the horse responded well.” Moore’s win secured him fourth place with Vincent Ho in fifth on 10 points thanks to two placed efforts.

Fukunaga became the second Japanese jockey to win the LONGINES IJC, following Yutaka Take who tied with Christophe Soumillon to win the contest in 2004. Afterwards the newly crowned champion said, “I am the first Japanese jockey to win this outright, so I am very happy and honoured to have done so. Both my winning rides were similar in that I was able to get a good position early. Happy Valley is a tricky course to ride, and the important thing is to start well. I had a lot of Japanese fans here to encourage me and some local support also speaking in Japanese!” 

Fukunaga said he is hoping to continue his Hong Kong glory by partnering Fiero to victory in the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile on Sunday, 14 December.