After months of meticulous planning and implementation, we are finally on the cusp of one of the major horseracing events of the Hong Kong season – the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship at Happy Valley tonight.
The Club is delighted to have assembled an outstanding cast of riders and it doubly satisfying to secure the best available international jockeys at a time when COVID has repeatedly challenged our ambitions.
In that context, the Club’s effort to stage an international event is truly remarkable and made even more so with the arrival in Hong Kong of Yuga Kawada, Hollie Doyle, Tom Marquand, James McDonald, Damian Lane, Mickael Barzalona and Ryan Moore to joust with Zac Purton, Joao Moreira, Alexis Badel, Vincent Ho and locally-based Lyle Hewitson, who rides for South Africa on Wednesday night.
There are storylines everywhere, notably Zac’s attempts to join Douglas Whyte and Frankie Dettori as a triple IJC winner, only a few days after setting a new Hong Kong prizemoney record with a Sha Tin double.
Ryan Moore is also in quest of a third IJC crown and, like Zac, is at the peak of his powers. A regular attendee to Hong Kong over the past 15 years for both the IJC and LONGINES International Raceday, Ryan remains a towering figure on the international stage.
By winning six Group or Grade 1 races on five individual horses in five different countries throughout 2020-21, Ryan underscored his incredible versatility by winning the LONGINES World’s Best Jockey award for the third time following his first victory 2014. He was also victorious in 2016.
Only Frankie Dettori, with four World’s Best Jockey titles, has been more successful.
Based on the calibre of the IJC cohort, victory in any leg of the four-race series at Happy Valley would be a notable achievement, let alone overall success.
With a HK$500,000 winner’s cheque on the line, not to mention the associated glory, this year’s series promises to be one of the tightest in history and the Club’s ride allocation system appears to have again ensured that the competition will remain very even.
The ride allocation system adopted by the Club has ensured that the winning chances are very evenly spread and the last race will likely decide the winner of the competition.
That said, the challenges of riding the Valley’s unique contours remain for all and no jockey in Hong Kong has done it better this season than Zac, who has posted 22 of his 46 victories so far at the city circuit from just 83 mounts at strike rate of 26.5 percent.
At the time of publishing, Zac is $4.75 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. Ryan Moore ($5) and Damian Lane ($6.5) are next from Joao Moreira ($8) and Alexis Badel ($9).
The IJC will be decided on the basis of the highest points accumulated across the four races with 12 points awarded for a win, six for second and four for third place.
In the first leg, a Class 4 over 1000m as race 4, Fabulous Eight for Alexis Badel looks well suited after two seconds at his past two runs over this course and distance and is a win and place chance. Awesome Treasure with Tom Marquand is a place chance along with Charming Steed for Lyle Hewitson and Circuit Seven for Zac Purton.
AI One shapes as Ryan Moore’s best ride and is a win and place chance from the inside draw in the second leg, which is race 5, a Class 4 over 1650m. Sacred Ibis for James McDonald, Dr Winning for Damian Lane and Glorious Lover for Zac Purton are place chances.
In the third leg, a Class 3 over 1650m as race 7, defending champion Zac Purton takes the ride on Amazing One Plus, who should appreciate the step up in trip and is a win and a place chance. Meaningful Star under Mickael Barzalona, Invincible Missile for James McDonald and The Anomaly for Vincent Ho are all place chances.
In the final leg, a Class 3 over 1200m as race 8, California Cible won impressively over this course and distance last start and Damian Lane will be hoping to repeat the feat from a tricky gate. He has the speed to cross and I make him a win and place chance. Shining Gem for Zac Purton, Winning Method under Hollie Doyle and Hong Kong Bet, who has a good draw for Ryan Moore, are place chances.
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