Zac Purton, Douglas Whyte and Derek Leung will join Joao Moreira as Hong Kong's representatives in the 2016 LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship on Wednesday 7 December, when 12 top class jockeys representing nine countries and regions will clash at Happy Valley to battle for the title.
The list of this year’s eight invited jockeys for the LONGINES IJC was released on 16 November. As Hong Kong’s current Champion Jockey, the 2012 IJC victor Joao Moreira has the first of four berths allocated to riders from Hong Kong’s excellent talent pool. The last three places are filled by two of Hong Kong's current leading jockeys and the leading local jockey (a graduate of the HKJC Apprentice Jockeys’ School and currently claiming no more than a 3lb allowance) as of 23 November.
Purton and Whyte are the second and fourth-placed riders - behind Moreira - in the Hong Kong premiership standings, with 25 wins and 15 wins apiece as of 23 November (the third-place rider Nash Rawiller will serve a riding suspension starting from 7 December), while Leung is the leading local jockey with six 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 2016 LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship is as follows:
List of invited jockeys for 2016 LONGINES IJC
Representing Country/Region |
Jockey
|
Remarks
|
|
Australia
|
Hugh Bowman
|
Three-time champion jockey in Sydney and has 59 G1 wins in his career.
|
|
France
|
Mickael Barzalona
|
More than 600 career wins to date, nine at G1 level. Partnered Monterosso to win the 2012 Dubai World Cup.
|
|
Ireland
|
Pat Smullen
|
Nine-time champion in Ireland with almost 2000 career wins.
|
|
Italy
|
Mirco Demuro
|
Five-time Italian champion & G1 ace in Japan. Won 2011 Dubai World Cup with Victoire Pisa.
|
|
Japan
|
Keita Tosaki
|
Champion jockey in Japan in 2014 and 2015; has over 2500 career wins.
|
|
South Africa
|
Gavin Lerena
|
IJC winner in 2015. Champion jockey in South Africa in 2014/15. Holds record for most wins in South Africa in a month - 42 in June, 2015.
|
|
UK
|
Ryan Moore
|
Three-time British champion jockey with over 2000 career wins, 87 at G1 level. LONGINES World’s Best Jockey Award winner in 2014. Two-time IJC winner in 2009 and 2010.
|
|
USA
|
Florent Geroux
|
French Champion Apprentice in 2005. Currently tied for the most pattern race wins in America in 2016 with 29.
|
|
Hong Kong
|
Joao Moreira
|
Record breaking reigning Hong Kong Champion Jockey; IJC winner in 2012.
|
|
Hong Kong
|
Zac Purton
|
Second-highest ranked Hong Kong jockey as of 23 November. 2013/2014 Hong Kong champion jockey.
|
|
Hong Kong
|
Douglas Whyte
|
Third highest-ranked available jockey as of 23 November. 13-time Hong Kong champion jockey & three-time IJC winner.
|
|
Hong Kong
|
Derek Leung
|
Leading local jockey as of 23 November. Winner of Asian Young Guns Challenge in 2010.
|
Profiles of 2016 LONGINES IJC jockeys (Update)
|
Photo 1:
Zac Purton
|
Photo 2:
Douglas Whyte
|
|
Photo 3:
Derek Leung
|
