MEGA-STAR RIDERS TO FACE-OFF IN HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL JOCKEY'S CHALLENGE

By Darren Winningham | Tuesday, December 7, 2021

HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL JOCKEYS CHALLENGE 2021

The first leg of the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races will be the traditional meeting at Happy Valley featuring the international jockeys doing battle for supremacy. This is set down for Wednesday 8 December 2021.

Australia will be represented by Damian Lane and James McDonald will represent New Zealand in 2021. They will compete against a wonderful field of jockeys including the likes of Hong Kong superstars, Aussie expat Zac Purton (and reigning champion from 2020), Joao Moreira, Vincent Ho and Alexis Badel as well as international champion riders Ryan Moore, Tom Marquand, Hollie Doyle, Mickael Barzalona and Yuga Kawada.

Competing jockeys receive 12 points for a race win, six points for a runner-up and four points for finishing third with the overall champion taking home HK$500,000 ($64,000 USD) – with second and third taking home $200,000 HKD and $100,000 HKD respectively. The four LONGINES IJC races are worth a combined HK$6.58 million.

The LONGINES International Jockeys Championship four races are scheduled as races 4, 5, 7 and 8.

Ryan Moore from Great Britain has won the series in 2009 and 2010 whilst Zac Purton has won it in 2017 and 2020. Both jockeys will look to claim it for a record breaking third time. Whilst local superstar and crowd favorite Joao Moreira will be looking to equal these two jockeys and win the challenge for the second time after winning it in 2012.

It is a superb field assembled in 2021.

James McDonald is on a hit and run mission flying from Australia to ride at the meeting and then returning immediately so that he can meet the current quarantine restrictions in Queensland. He is booked to ride the Magic Millions and Golden Slipper favorite Coolangatta on Boxing Day in the BJ McLachlan Stakes at Doomben..

To meet this commitment, he must return to Sydney and self-isolate for 72 hours and this will ensure he has then met the 14 days current QLD restrictions to attend the Eagle Farm meeting.

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