HUGH BOWMAN IN A HAPPY VALLEY SHOOTOUT FOR A PLACE IN THE INTERNATIONAL JOCKEYS' CHAMPIONSHIP

By Hong Kong Jockey Club (Declan Schuster) | Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Two spots remain on the sought-after LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) roster before the final line-up is confirmed following Wednesday night’s (26 November) nine-race fixture at Happy Valley.

Vincent Ho (11 wins) leads Jerry Chau (10) in the race for a prized berth available to the leading homegrown rider. Both Ho and Chau have four mounts on Wednesday,

Luke Ferraris (15) holds a slender one-win advantage over Hugh Bowman (14) in the place designated to the next highest-ranked Hong Kong-based jockey.

Bowman, who won the 2016 LONGINES IJC, said: “It’s fantastic. I think it leads the way as far as jockeys’ challenges go around the world; it’s always a great night to be a part of, and I’ve had the privilege of being involved many times now.

“Hopefully, I can add another one to the list. It will depend on results tomorrow night.”

Ferraris is booked for four rides, while Bowman has five, led by Hakka Radiance (129lb) in the Class 4 St Andrew’s Challenge Quaich Handicap (1800m). The British import is bidding for a fourth consecutive win for trainer Danny Shum.

“I’ve ridden him in a gallop between his last win and this start – he feels fantastic. He’s really in a great vein of form and hopefully he can continue his winning ways,” Bowman said. “He just looks really well and he’s enjoying his racing.”

The LONGINES IJC is the most lucrative jockey challenge in the world for the winning rider, who receives HK$600,000 if successful on Wednesday, 10 December at Happy Valley. Second place takes home HK$250,000, while third collects HK$150,000.

HRO adds: Should the riders vying for a place in the IJC lineup end up with the same number of wins, there will be a countback with the number of second place results achieved by these riders coming into play.