THE LONGINES HKIR - ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ONE OF THE WORLD'S BIGGEST RACEDAYS

By Hong Kong Jockey Club | Friday, December 1, 2017

Follow the build up ... and ultimately all the race-day action ... of one of the world's greatest race-days on HRO as the in depth coverage and comprehensive analysis of the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races to be run at Sha Tin on December 10 continues.

WHAT RACES COMPRISE THE LONGINES HKIR

The LONGINES Hong Kong International Races is world horseracing’s year-end showcase. The LONGINES HKIR comprises the HK$25 million LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m), the HK$23 million LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m), the HK$18.5 million LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) and the HK$18 million LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m).

THIS YEAR'S BREAKDOWN

This year’s selected runners for the four Group 1 races feature strong contenders from Europe, Asia and North America converging in Hong Kong on Sunday, 10th December 2017.

International stars are among the 53 world class selections for the HK$84.5 million LONGINES Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin Racecourse.

Global horseracing’s year-end finale has 29 overseas challengers and is set to feature 23 Group 1 winners, including recent Breeders’ Cup victor Talismanic, Japanese heavyweights Kiseki and Neorealism, Europe’s all-time highest money earner Highland Reel and local hero Werther.

Japan has enjoyed notable successes in recent times, thanks to the outstanding Maurice, A Shin Hikari and Satono Crown, and this time Hong Kong’s east Asian neighbour has eight raiders with LONGINES HKIR engagements; Great Britain also has eight, France and Ireland has six each, and the USA has one. The overseas challengers are primed to face a 24-strong home defence at this year’s Turf World Championships.

TEN POINTS OF HISTORICAL INTEREST

1. 2017 marks the 31st running of the HKIR. Nearly 1,250 runners from 17 countries/regions took part in the past 30 editions of the HKIR.

2. The Cup was ranked equal 15th in the World’s Top 100 G1 Races in 2016. It is the highest ranked event of the four HKIRs and was also the top-ranked G1 in Hong Kong last year. Meanwhile, at equal 38th, the Sprint was rated the world’s best sprint race in 2016.

3. Tony Cruz is the winning-most trainer. He is also the only horseman to win a HKIR race as a jockey, too, as he rode COLONIAL CHIEF to victory in the second Invitation Cup in January 1989.

4. John Moore last year became the first trainer ever to have over 100 starters in HKIR history. Having saddled a total of 103 runners since 1988, he has amassed six wins, eight seconds and 10 thirds. He’s also the only trainer to have won each of the four HKIR races at least once.

5. Japanese trainer Noriyuki Hori is the only overseas trainer to have saddled two winners at the same HKIR. He achieved the unique feat with MAURICE (Cup) and SATONO CROWN (Vase) in 2016.

6. Gerald Mosse and Joao Moreira are the only two jockeys to have won each of the four HKIR events at least once. Moreira completed his full collection of wins in just three years, aboard ABLE FRIEND (2014 Mile), DESIGNS ON ROME (2014 Cup), PENIAPHOBIA (2015 Sprint) and SATONO CROWN (2016 Vase).

7. Six three-year-olds have triumphed at the HKIR, yet not one of that age has ever won the Sprint.

8. Only two eight-year-olds have succeeded at the HKIR – COLLIER HILL in the 2006 Vase and AEROVELOCITY in the 2016 Sprint. ABLE ONE is the oldest HKIR winner as he turned the clock back as a nine-year-old in the 2011 Mile.

9. A total of 10 fillies and mares have won at the HKIR down the years, the latest being SNOW FAIRY in the 2010 Cup.

10. Hong Kong runners have won 37 HKIR races since FLYING DANCER took the inaugural HK Invitation Cup in January 1988. Some 31 of these wins were achieved after 2002. France has produced more HKIR winners than any other overseas jurisdiction with a total of 14 victories, 10 of which were achieved in the Hong Kong Vase. Next on the list are the UK and Japan as each of these two countries has 12 HKIR wins.

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