A dozen of the best clash in Wednesday��s star-studded LONGINES IJC

08/12/2015

A star-studded cast of a dozen of the world’s best riders will participate in Wednesday (9 December) night’s 18th LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship at Happy Valley Racecourse.  The IJC will consist of races four, five, seven and eight, with the winning rider each race banking 12 points with six awarded for second place and four for third. The jockey with the highest total will be rewarded with a HK$500,000 prize.

Three of the participants are previous winners of the event: Hong Kong’s Joao Moreira (2012), United Kingdom’s Ryan Moore (2009 and 2010) and Hong Kong’s Douglas Whyte (2002, 2007 and 2008).

“It’s my home, but I’m facing some of the best riders in the world,” said Moreira, Hong Kong’s record setting and current leading jockey. “We (Hong Kong-based jockeys) know we can win but we can get beaten as well. We are so used to the horses here, we know how they like to race and run. We have the advantage of being able to place the horse where they like to be, but these riders can pull tricks out of their hat that you’ve never seen before. It’s so much fun. It’s inspiring. We know we have to step up our game.”

Moore, winner of the 2014 LONGINES World’s Best Jockey Award, said: “Happy Valley is a beautiful track, really. There’s not anywhere else in the world like this place. You’re sort of in a fishbowl. Everything is real tight and it’s just a great feeling going around there. It’s usually a good bit of fun.”

Whyte, tied with Frankie Dettori for the most IJC titles (three) in the event’s history, said: “Winning the Jockey Championship is a great achievement. It’s one of the highlights of the season, it’s very competitive and I very much look forward to it every year. It’s the best of the best mixing it. I’ve got a couple of difficult draws and ordinary rides. I think I’m a longshot this year but we’re going to give it our best shot.”

Others who have competed in the past include USA’s Victor Espinoza (2003 runner-up), Hong Kong’s Brett Prebble (2000 runner-up), New Zealand’s James McDonald (2014 3rd, 2011 runner-up), Australia’s Hugh Bowman and France’s Maxime Guyon.

It has been a dream run for Espinoza, the regular rider of American Pharoah, the first American Triple Crown winner in 37 years. In 2014, he won the first two jewels of the Triple Crown with California Chrome before being denied in the Belmont Stakes.

“I don’t have dreams, I always have goals, and the last two years I’ve reached them,” Espinoza said. “There is more pressure on me now than before. Now that I’ve won the Triple Crown, they (owners and trainers) expect me to improve their horses more now than before. Everybody is watching me. The other riders want to beat the Triple Crown jockey.”

Prebble, who will be participating in his fourth IJC, said: “It’s a good buzz. It’s a great bunch of boys and I know them well, so there’s lots of enjoyment in this event. I feel very fortunate. I drew good gates and good horses.”

First time participants include Hong Kong’s Derek Leung, Japan’s Keita Tosaki, South Africa's Gavin Lerena and United Kingdom’s Silvestre De Sousa.

“Really excited to be here,” De Sousa, Britain’s newly-crowned Champion Jockey, said. “The track looks a bit tight for me but I have had success on tight tracks before, including Chester in the UK. It’s wonderful to compete against the top jockeys in the world. I have to admit, I only got off the plane two hours ago, so I haven’t had a chance to study the form of my horses.”

Japan’s Keita Tosaki commented: “This is my first time going overseas, so I was a little bit nervous. Horse racing is the same all over the world. I hope to enjoy this beautiful course and the horses. Last year, the Japanese jockey (Yuichi Fukunaga) won the Championship, but he has been spelled due to injury, so I will do my best with thoughts of him.”