Vincent Ho will join Zac Purton, Joao Moreira and Karis Teetan as Hong Kong’s representatives in the 2019 LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship on Wednesday 4 December, when 12 top class jockeys will clash at Happy Valley to battle for the title.
The list of this year’s eight invited jockeys for the LONGINES IJC was released on 18 November. As Hong Kong’s Champion Jockey, the 2017 IJC victor Zac Purton has the first of four berths allocated to riders from Hong Kong’s excellent talent pool.
Joao Moreira, currently leading the jockey’s premiership, and Karis Teetan, who sits a clear third in the standings, had secured the next two berths. Ho takes the last spot as the leading homegrown jockey (a graduate of the HKJC Apprentice Jockeys’ School and currently claiming no more than a 3lb allowance) as of 20 November.
After tonight’s race meeting at Happy Valley Ho had 13 victories this term. The full list of 12 jockeys who will participate in the 2019 LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship is as follows:
List of invited jockeys for 2019 LONGINES IJC
| Jockey | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|
| Reigning IJC Champion | Silvestre de Sousa | 2018 IJC winner and runner-up in 2017. Three-time champion jockey in Britain (2015, 2017 and 2018). |
| Hong Kong Champion Jockey | Zac Purton | 2017 IJC winner. Three-time champion jockey in Hong Kong (2013/14, 2017/18 and 2018/19). Brisbane Champion Jockey (2003). |
| Italy | Frankie Dettori | Three-time IJC winner (1999, 2001 and 2011). 2015 and 2018 LONGINES World’s Best Jockey. Leads this year’s LONGINES World’s Best Jockey Award standings. Three-time champion jockey in Britain (1994, 1995 and 2004). 19 G1 wins this year. |
| Australia | James McDonald | Three-time Sydney champion jockey (2013/14, 2015/16 and 2018/19). Two-time New Zealand champion jockey (2008/09 and 2010/11). Second in 2011 IJC and third in 2014. |
| Britain | Ryan Moore | Two-time winner of both the IJC (2009 and 2010) and LONGINES World’s Best Jockey Award (2014 and 2016). Three-time British champion jockey (2006, 2008 and 2009) |
| Britain | Oisin Murphy | This year’s British champion jockey. British champion apprentice (2014). |
| France | Pierre-Charles Boudot | Two-time champion jockey in France (2015 and 2016). Third in the 2017 IJC. |
| Ireland | Colin Keane | Ireland’s champion jockey (2017). Ireland’s champion apprentice (2014). Second on his IJC debut in 2018. |
| Japan | Yuga Kawada | 2019 World All-Star Jockeys champion. One of nine jockeys in JRA history to have won all five classic races. Competing in first IJC this year. |
| Hong Kong | Joao Moreira | Hong Kong premiership leader as of 18 November. Three-time Hong Kong champion jockey (2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17) and multiple record holder including most wins in a season (170). Winner of the 2012 IJC. |
| Hong Kong | Karis Teetan | Third-highest ranked Hong Kong jockey as of 18 November. South African champion apprentice in 2008. |
| Hong Kong | Vincent Ho | Hong Kong’s leading homegrown jockey as of 20 November. 2010/11 Hong Kong Champion Apprentice. 2018/19 Tony Cruz Award winner. |
