A bit of local knowledge goes a long way for Hugh Bowman, who appeared pleasantly surprised at the outcome of the rides allocation for Wednesday’s (4 December) LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC).

Bowman was part of the delegation for a media briefing at Sha Tin on Monday morning (2 December) to discover what he would be riding in the popular event at Happy Valley.

He kicks off with Mark Newnham’s Notthesillyone in the 1st Leg (1000m) followed by Jumbo Fortune, second three times in five starts for David Eustace, in the 2nd Leg (1650m).

Ricky Yiu launches a three-pronged attack in the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) at Sha Tin on Sunday, 8 December and Yiu believed all his three runners will go close.

Since Fairy King Prawn’s victory in the inaugural Hong Kong Sprint, Yiu has added two more Hong Kong Sprint wins to his tally with Sacred Kingdom in 2007 and 2009. This year, he will saddle Voyage Bubble in the HK$36 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) and Straight Arron and Nimble Nimbus in the HK$40 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m).

Two women, whose passion for riding and racing was nurtured in the English countryside, are determined to create history in the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) at Happy Valley on Wednesday (4 December).

Hollie Doyle, 28, who rode her 1,000th career winner at Goodwood, West Sussex, in September, 2024, and Rachel King, 34, Oxford-born but now a ‘true blue’ Aussie after 11 years riding in Sydney, will bid to register a first female win in the series.

Happy Valley Selections
(Wednesday, December 04, 2024)

Vincent Ho completed preparations for his defence of the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (4 December) with a treble at Sha Tin on Sunday (1 December) – a haul matched by Hugh Bowman and Mark Newnham.

Four days after becoming only the 11th jockey to ride 600 or more winners in Hong Kong, Ho struck aboard The Boom Box, Vulcanus and Healthy Healthy – who successfully backed up for Pierre Ng after providing Ho’s milestone victory last Wednesday (27 November).

In 2008, on one of his first major assignments, he was involved in the Hong Kong International Races and partnered Buccellati to finish sixth in the G1 Hong Kong Vase (2400m).

“That was very early on in my career when I was with Andrew Balding,” Buick recalls.

The LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) has meant a lot to leading homegrown jockey Vincent Ho, who has just joined one of horse racing’s most elite clubs with his 600th Hong Kong winner last Wednesday (27 November). Victor of the last year’s edition of LONGINES IJC, Ho not only hailed it as one of his career highlights but also the event provided him a learning opportunity to compete with other world-class riders, so he can keep improving to become a better jockey.

Lemon Pop earned an historic victory in his final career start in Sunday’s Grade 1 Champions Cup at 1 1/8 miles on dirt at Chukyo Racecourse in Japan, holding off a late run from Wilson Tesoro to prevail by a nose.

Lemon Pop, who will enter stud in Japan in 2025, became the second horse to win the $1.55 million Champions Cup in consecutive years. Lemon Pop won the race in 2023, the year he was honored as Japan’s outstanding dirt horse. Transcend won the Champions Cup in 2010 and 2011, when it was known as the Japan Cup Dirt.

Lemon Pop’s flawless record in Japan in the last 24 months will make him a massive favorite to win the third Grade 1 race of his career in Sunday’s Champions Cup at 1 1/8 miles on dirt at Chukyo Racecourse.

The $1.55 million Champions Cup will be Lemon Pop’s final start before retirement. Lemon Pop has won 12 of 17 starts.

Lemon Pop, a 6-year-old Kentucky-bred horse, won the 2023 Champions Cup and can become the second horse to win the race in consecutive years. Transcend achieved the milestone in 2010 and 2011.

By Declan Schuster

Alexis Pouchin will join a long list of French jockeys to ply their trade in Hong Kong when he debuts with five rides at Sha Tin’s 10-race fixture on Sunday (1 December).

Pouchin, 24, has enjoyed an unbelievable year with six Group 1 wins. He is renowned for an association with Mqse De Sevigne – one of Europe’s best older horses – after winning five Group 1 races aboard the mare for legendary trainer Andre Fabre. Pouchin has over 400 wins and his top-level triumphs have come via Metropolitan, Vertical Blue, Haya Zark and Simca Mille.