Douglas Whyte, Brett Prebble and Derek Leung will join Joao Moreira as Hong Kong's representatives in the 2015 LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship on Wednesday 9 December, when 12 top class jockeys from eight countries and regions will clash at Happy Valley to battle for the title.
The list of this year’s nine invited jockeys for the LONGINES IJC was released on 18 November. The last three places are filled by two of Hong Kong's current leading jockeys (other than the reigning Hong Kong champion, Joao Moreira, who is already included) and the leading local jockey as of 25 November. This year’s LONGINES IJC will feature four jockeys from Hong Kong’s excellent pool of locally-based talent. The 2012 IJC victor, Joao Moreira, will take his place thanks to his status as Hong Kong’s current Champion Jockey.
Whyte and Prebble are the second and third-placed riders - behind Moreira - in the Hong Kong premiership standings, with 18 wins apiece as of today, while Leung is the leading local jockey with eight victories. These three riders have therefore been allocated the three remaining places. In accordance with the prospectus for the LONGINES IJC races, Leung’s normal two-pound weight allowance will not be applicable in the four legs of this event.
The full list of 12 jockeys who will participate in the 2015 LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship is as follows:
List of invited jockeys for 2015 LONGINES IJC
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Representing Country/Region
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Jockey
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Remarks
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Australia
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Hugh Bowman
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Three-time champion jockey in Sydney, with 47 G1 wins in his career
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France
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Maxime Guyon
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Winner of 26 G1 races including five on European champion miler Solow in 2015; Partnered Flintshire to win last year’s HK Vase
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Japan
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Keita Tosaki
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Reigning champion jockey in Japan with over 2300 career wins
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New Zealand
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James McDonald
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Winner of Sydney Premiership in 2013/14; Two-time champion in New Zealand
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South Africa
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Gavin Lerena
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Reigning champion jockey in South Africa; Two-time South African Derby winner; Holds record for most wins in South Africa in a month - 42 in June 2015
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UK
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Ryan Moore
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Three-time British champion jockey with over 2000 career wins, 65 at G1 level; LONGINES World’s Best Jockey Award winner in 2014; Two-time IJC winner in 2009 and 2010
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UK
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Silvestre De Sousa
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Reigning British champion jockey with 132 wins in 2015; Partnered African Story to win the 2014 Dubai World Cup
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US
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Victor Espinoza
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Partnered world’s top-rated horse American Pharoah to win the 2015 US Triple Crown, and the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic last month.
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Hong Kong
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Joao Moreira
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Reigning Hong Kong Champion Jockey; IJC winner in 2012
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Hong Kong
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Douglas Whyte
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Second highest ranked jockey as of 25 November. 13-time Hong Kong champion jockey & three-time IJC winner.
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Hong Kong
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Brett Prebble
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Third highest ranked jockey as of 25 November. Two-time Melbourne Champion.
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Hong Kong
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Derek Leung
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Leading local jockey as of 25 November. Winner of Asian Young Guns Challenge in 2010. Making his IJC debut this year.
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Attachment – Profiles for LONGINES IJC Jockeys (Update)
