After months of anticipation and excitement, the stage is finally set for the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) at Happy Valley tonight (6 December) and, with the quality of riders assembled, Hong Kong will celebrate one of the most important events of the horseracing season.
I am thrilled by the class of the jockeys who will contest the four-race series at one of the most famous racecourses in the world ahead of what shapes as a fabulous staging of the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) on Sunday (10 December).
I attended trackwork at Sha Tin on Tuesday morning to talk with overseas connections as well as racing journalists. We have over 170 overseas racing reporters joining us for LONGINES IJC and LONGINES HKIR and the anticipation and buzz was great to experience, while the quality of our international runners is very impressive.
Japan has a very strong line-up with LEBENSSTIL as an upcoming three-year-old in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m), while NAMUR in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) and PROGNOSIS and ROUSHAM PARK in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) have settled in well.
Aidan O’Brien’s LUXEMBOURG and the three-year-old filly WARM HEART both look top class.
We have four previous winners of the IJC in attendance – Ryan Moore, Zac Purton, Karis Teetan and Tom Marquand – while Ryan and James McDonald have also been acclaimed as the LONGINES World’s Best Jockey based on Group 1 results across a single season.
Japan’s Yuga Kawada, France’s Mickael Barzalona, Great Britain’s Hollie Doyle and Rachel King and Bauyrzhan Murzabayev, who are representing Australia and Germany, respectively, will be joined by Hong Kong’s Vincent Ho and Lyle Hewitson.
With a purse of HK$1 million on offer – and HK$600,000 to the winning jockey – the LONGINES IJC is the most prestigious jockey challenge in the world and the four races in the series carry a combined HK$7.5 million in prizemoney. Additionally, trainers with horses in the series will vie for the winning prize of HK$300,000 as the leading handler across the four races with HK$125,000 and HK$75,000 for second and third, respectively.
The IJC will be decided on the basis of the most points accumulated across the four races with 12 points awarded for a win, six for second and four for third place.
At the time of publishing, Vincent and Ryan share equal favouritism at $6 favourite to win the IJC and also the Jockeys’ Challenge which has been specially modified to be run across the four legs of the IJC. James is next at $7, from Karis ($7.50) and Zac ($8).
The first leg of the series is Race 4 at 8:10pm for Class 4 horses over 1000m.
The speed will be good with SUPER COMMANDER going forward with DIAMOND SOARS landing on the speed from gate four. CIRCUIT SEVEN led this race last year and will go forward from wide gate.
GALVANIC should also settle in the leading division from gate three. GALVANIC worked hard from a wide gate when he took the lead at the top of the straight and faded in the closing stages to finish sixth over 1200m on 15 November. GALVANIC comes back in trip but has the draw to get a perfect run and is my win and place chance for Tom Marquand.
GLORIOUS VITALITY, who will be ridden by Bauyrzhan, has a good draw in gate two and rallied in his last start to finish third, beaten one and a quarter lengths. He is a place chance.
OVERSUBSCRIBED settled midfield and ran home powerfully in the race won by Happy United sweeping down the outside. OVERSUBSCRIBED has drawn the gate five and is a place chance if Rachel can find clear running early enough in the straight.
SUPER FAST DRAGON is another runner who will finish strongly off a past pace and has place claims for YUGA KAWADA in a competitive opening leg.
The second leg is Race 5 at 8:40pm for Class 4 Horses over 1650m.
The tempo will be good with WIDE BLUE YONDER going forward from gate 11 in search of the lead. RED HARE KING should be prominent from an inside draw, with DURHAM STAR and SNOWALOT in the leading division.
M UNICORN ran home strongly to win easily from Winning Data three starts back and again finished powerfully down the middle of the course to beat SURE JOYFUL over this course and trip on 22 November. M UNICORN has drawn well in gate four and with Ryan Moore riding is my win and place selection.
SURE JOYFUL ran well in the race won by M UNICORN and continues to race well in four starts this season. SURE JOYFUL will get a good run through from gate two for Vincent Ho and is a place chance.
There are a lot of chances in this leg with both SNOWALOT and KILLER INSTINCT coming off runner-up efforts and despite drawing wide, WIDE BLUE YONDER is a place chance with James McDonald riding.
CLUB SODA, with Hollie, and TO INFINITY, with Rachel, should not be underestimated.
The third leg is Race 7 at 9:40pm and is for Class 3 Horses over 1650m.
The pace in the race should be good with E LEGEND drawn gate three and SPLENDID LIVING likely to go forward and settle on speed from barrier ten.
SPLENDID LIVING ended last season with two wins in a row and was impressive beating Brilliant Way over this course and distance 29 October. SPLENDID LIVING raced without luck when caught wide and working hard to land outside leader before fading behind CHILL CHIBI on 15 November. SPLENDID LIVING has drawn wide again but is a place chance with Tom Marquand riding.
QUANTUM PATCH races well this course and distance and was an easy winner over E LEGEND on 22 November at his second run this season after spending time in Conghua. Mickael Barzalona takes the ride and QUANTUM PATCH, who has been working very well, is a win and place chance.
D STAR finished last season with a win at this course and distance and resumed with a narrow win over DRAGON STAR. At his last start D STAR raced over 1400m at Sha Tin and raced on pace, staying on to finish second to SUPER WINNER. D STAR is a place chance for Yuga Kawada.
There are a number of other runners with claims including E LEGEND who has a good draw as well as recent winners IVY LEAGUE and FLYING MOJITO.
The final leg will be Race 8 at 10:10pm and is for Class 3 horses over 1200m.
The pace will be good coming from TOMODACHI KOKOROE and BEAUTY GLORY who are both drawn out. KAHOLO ANGEL has drawn an inside gate and will be on speed and GOLDEN EMPIRE and LUCKY ARCHANGEL will also be prominent.
TOMODACHI KOKOROE was a big winner two starts ago when leading throughout and then battled on strongly when challenged for the lead by WONDER KIT over this course and distance on 15 November. Vincent Ho takes the ride and TOMODACHI KOKOROE is a place chance.
LUCKY ARCHANGEL has won his last three starts by narrow margins and came through near the rails to beat COLOURFUL EMPEROR on 1 November. LUCKY ARCHANGEL will have benefitted from time at Conghua since that win and Lyle Hewitson should have him in a good position from his draw and is a place chance.
GAMEPLAYER ELITE’s two runs in Hong Kong have been eye-catching and he finished off well when fourth to WONDER KIT on 15 November. GAMEPLAYER ELITE has drawn well in gate four and with James McDonald aboard is a win and place chance.
SINBA is racing better than his form suggests and made ground in the run home last start behind LUCKY ENCOUNTER over 1200m at Sha Tin on 15 October. SINBA went to Conghua after that run and came to Happy Valley winning a trial here last weekend ahead of making his race debut at this course. SINBA is wearing blinkers again and it is worth noting he won three times in Australia with blinkers applied. Hollie Doyle takes the ride and SINBA is a place chance at good odds.
LIGHTNING BOLT is in great form and has a perfect gate for Karis Teetan and BEAUTY GLORY, KAHOLO ANGEL and SOLAR PARTNER all have winning claims in a very deep race to finish the Championship.
Comment
