Winfred Engelbrecht-Bresges (right), Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, presents a gift to Australian jockey Jamie Kah during the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) press conference at the Hong Kong Palace Museum, West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong, Dec 5, 2022. (GABY LIN / CHINA DAILY)
HONG KONG – Racing fans in Hong Kong will be thrilled as one of the most prestigious jockey challenges — the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) — will be returning to Happy Valley Racecourse on Wednesday night.
At a press conference on Monday, Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said he was delighted that the club had the support of the HKSAR government to host the annual international horse racing event.
Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said he was delighted that the club had the support of the HKSAR government to host the annual international horse racing event
“We played very hard as a team in a way to stage such a global event,” Engelbrecht-Bresges said, adding that the race horse owners and trainers were in the city after COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed.
“If you are proud of your horses, you want to see your horses running. So, it’s very important that we get the permission.”
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As a prelude to the annual LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) on Dec 11, this year’s IJC will feature twelve top jockeys from HK and around the world, with two leading female riders competing on the same card for the first time.
The international lineup includes Zac Purton, last year’s IJC winner and five-time Hong Kong Champion Jockey; James McDonald of New Zealand, who currently tops the LONGINES World's Best Jockey Rankings; Ryan Moore of Britain, three-time LONGINES World’s Best Jockey Award winner; and six other talents from Australia, France and Japan.
As one of the two female jockeys competing in this year’s IJC, three-time South Australia Champion Jockey Jamie Kah, who will be participating in the event for the first time, said she felt special to be in Hong Kong not just to represent Australia but also the female jockeys in her country.
IJC has also invited three well-known local riders, including Vincent Ho, the current leading homegrown jockey; Silvestre de Sousa, the 2018 IJC winner; and Matthew Chadwick, the current fourth highest-ranked Hong Kong jockey.
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Ho, who has been one of the most attention-grabbing homegrown jockeys in Hong Kong, said he was excited about joining IJC.
“It’s a privilege to race against the best jockeys in the world,” he said. “To race against them is always about learning…it’s a privilege to improve myself again. So, it’s lovely to be here.”
This year’s IJC will consist of four races. Each jockey will be awarded points based on their positions in each race, with the top horse receiving 12 points, the runner-up receiving 6 points, and the third runner-up receiving 4 points.
The number of points accumulated by each jockey will determine their final position, and the jockey with the highest cumulative score will be crowned the LONGINES International Jockeys Champion.
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The four races have nearly HK$7 million in total prize money, with total bonus awards of HK$800,000 for the three most successful riders.