We are just three weeks away from the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races and already the anticipation is building. Our flagship international week will not only feature world-class horses, but elite jockeys will also assemble in Hong Kong and some of the very best will take part in the midweek LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship.
Yesterday we announced the line-up of world-class jockeys that will participate in this international jockeys’ contest at Happy Valley on 10 December. It’s a really impressive line-up of champions with each of them a superstar jockey in their respective countries and regions, as well as the world. Among them, six of the participants are reigning champion jockeys, namely Richard Hughes from the UK, Christophe Soumillon from France, Pat Smullen from Ireland, Yuichi Fukunaga from Japan, S’Manga Khumalo from South Africa and of course, our Hong Kong champion jockey Zac Purton. Last year’s IJC champion Kerrin McEvoy, from Australia, will also return to defend his crown, while Joao Moreira – IJC winner in 2012 – is also very likely to secure his berth in the contest as the current leader in the local premiership.
I must also give a special mention to another participating jockey Ryan Moore. The three-time British champion is in unstoppable form this year, having won 15 G1s in seven countries up to this moment. With two races still to go, Moore is also the champion-designate of the inaugural LONGINES World’s Best Jockey award. Our HKIR week is regarded to be the best time and occasion to present this award, in recognition of excellence of horse racing. The presentation ceremony will be held at the HKIR Gala Dinner in Hong Kong on 12 December.
Similar to past years we also invited some new talents to join this contest, and they all will have the chance to showcase their exceptional riding skills in front of our local racing fans. This year we have two new faces in Irad Ortiz from the US and Khumalo from South Africa. They are both the real deal. Ortiz was crowned the leading rider in the very competitive fall meeting at Belmont this year and notched his first Breeders’ Cup success at Santa Anita early this month. Khumalo edged former Hong Kong-based jockey Richard Fourie and the nation’s star rider Piere Strydom to be crowned champion jockey in his homeland last year. He also did well in his overseas ventures including when he competed in the Shergar Cup in the UK this summer.
This is a contest that I and many racing fans look forward to. Before then, James McDonald – another of the overseas jockeys participating in this year’s IJC – will make an early appearance in Hong Kong tomorrow as he will be riding Singapore sprinter Spalato in our G2 BOCHK Wealth Management Jockey Club Sprint at Sha Tin. James combined with the horse to win its last start in Singapore and we shall see if this jockey-horse partnership can deliver another good result here.
Looking at the fields of the three Jockey Club races you can find a total of five HKIR past winners, three Hong Kong Horse of the Year champions from the past four seasons, as well as all three horses who won the Jockey Club races 12 months ago. Factor in the new kids on the block who are trying to secure their starting berths in the internationals next month, and we have three intriguing contests of real star quality. Don’t miss such an opportunity to watch top-class sport and please join us tomorrow to enjoy these exciting races.
The BOCHK Wealth Management Jockey Club Sprint is run as Race 7 and has an additional dimension with the Singapore sprint star Spalato taking on the Hong Kong sprinters. The pace is expected to be good to fast due to the fact that half of the horses are capable of leading or racing close up and they will be putting pressure on each other.
Amber Sky, Peniaphobia and Bundle Of Joy are best known as 1000m sprinters and are drawn Gates 9, 14 and 8 and likely to go forward. It will be interesting to see how they handle from the turns from these draws, or if they will try to change tactics and take a sit in the race. Aerovelocity was slow again in his last start. But being drawn in Gate 1, he and Super Jockey, as well as Smart Volatility can be well placed, with Lucky Nine and Sterling City lurking behind them. Spalato is drawn to start from Gate 13 and is at risk to be wide.
Lucky Nine is working well but is likely not 100 percent fit. Having said that he is still a win and place chance for me. Sterling City was disappointing in his last start but is working very well and he’s a win and place chance too. Aerovelocity is working very well and in good form and he is capable to be placed. Spalato is running right handed for the first time and the best I expect from him would be placed looking at his awkward draw. Surprises can come from Golden Harvest and Smart Volatility who ran both well in defeat in their last start.
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