Tag: happy valley

‘Ho’-megrown Success In the Longines IJC

Jockey Vincent Ho made history Wednesday night at iconic Happy Valley Racecourse on Hong Kong Island, becoming the first 'homegrown' rider to take out the prestigious Longines International Jockeys' Championship.

With a narrow victory over Zac Purton in the fourth and final leg of the series, Ho amassed a total of 20 points to Purton's 18, with Australia's Rachel King and the locally based South African Lyle Hewitson on 16 points. King was declared outright third, with her victory in the first leg of the competition and an additional third-place finish in the finale trumping Hewitson's three minor placings.

To say it has been an eventful last four months in the life of Vincent Ho would be an understatement of monumental proportions. The 33-year-old graduate of the HKJC's Apprentice Jockeys' School, who is best known for his affiliation with three-time Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro), announced his intentions to participate in the Shergar Cup at Ascot in August and was planning on riding at Goodwood as a warm-up as well. But he was seriously injured in a spill in late July when riding on a short-term stint at Niigata in Japan, resulting in a fractured vertebra, whiplash and a pneumothorax on his lung, Asian Racing Report wrote in August.

Despite the severity of the injuries, Ho was back in time for the third meeting of the new season in Hong Kong, only to be suspended in early October for 10 meetings for failing to sufficiently ride out his mount in a dead-heat victory, a penalty later cut to eight while being forced to pay a fine of HK$120,000 in lieu of the two extra dates. He returned to the saddle on Nov. 12 and still managed to book his spot in the IJC, in which he had finished alone in third in 2019 and a joint-third with fellow local rider Derek Leung last year.

But it was King, making her IJC debut, who struck first for Melbourne Cup-winning conditioner David Hall aboard 9-1 outsider Oversubscribed (Aus) (Reward For Effort {Aus}) (video), who–as reported by HKJC commentator Tom Wood–was making his fourth straight appearance in the Class 4 over the 1000 metres.

“He was probably the perfect start to riding here at Happy Valley,” said King, who narrowly missed winning this year's World Series Jockeys at Sapporo. “He's looked after me and did everything for me.”

Speaking after her third placing was confirmed, King added: “I think it was a good first effort. The atmosphere at Happy Valley is unbelievable and I really enjoyed it.”

Ryan Moore, a two-time IJC winner and three times its runner-up, had his best scoring chance in the second leg of the IJC and duly obliged aboard 8-5 favourite M Unicorn (NZ) (Savabeel {Aus}) for the training King of Happy Valley Caspar Fownes, spearing through from between rivals before proving a slashing winner (video). Moore was himself injured in a fall at Kyoto Nov. 19.

Leading Hong Kong jockey Zac Purton was downplaying his chances for a third IJC in the last four years prior to the event, but put himself into the reckoning with an inspired stalk-and-pounce ride aboard Silver Sonic (Aus) (Exosphere {Aus}) for Golden Sixty's trainer Francis Lui at odds just north of 8-1 (video).

Half of the 12 riders remained in with chances to varying degrees entering the IJC finale over 1200 metres. From an outside alley, Ho kicked the in-form David Hayes-trained Tomodachi Kokoroe (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) straight into the lead, set a steady pace and just held off Purton's mount Kaholo Angel (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) to secure the victory (video).

The always humble Ho learned he'd won only during the post-race debrief with the HKJC's Nick Child.

“I was not aware [I had won] and I didn't even know about the points, I just kept riding every race to have a winning chance,” said Ho. “I felt the track today favoured the front-runners a little bit so that definitely helped and of course Mr Hayes' team did a great job and helped me win this.

“As the first homegrown of course I received plenty of support here and hopefully it will inspire more kids.”

Ho, whose two HKIR successes came aboard Golden Sixty in the Hong Kong Mile in 2020 and 2021, also rides Senor Toba (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) in the Hong Kong Vase and the progressive Straight Arron (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in the Hong Kong Cup, both for former boss Fownes.

Moore's 12 points was good for fifth place, Tom Marquand's best finish was a fourth in leg three and Hollie Doyle posted a pair of fifth-place finishes. Yuga Kawada, James McDonald, Bauyrzhan Murzabayev and Karis Teetan also failed to point.

 

The post ‘Ho’-megrown Success In the Longines IJC appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

‘It Could All Happen Again’: Marquand A Live Chance In IJC Title Defence

The Longines International Jockeys' Championship (IJC) is the premier event of its kind in the world, and with good reason, as it brings together 12 of the most-accomplished riders from all corners of the globe vying for the winner's share of the HK$800,000 (£81,120/$102,320) prizemoney on offer.

The IJC, the true start of Longines Hong Kong International Races festivities, takes place annually at iconic Happy Valley Racecourse on Hong Kong Island, its tight turns and unique configuration offering up additional challenges, especially for jockeys based outside of Hong Kong.

Britain's Tom Marquand is one of four previous IJC winners in the mix Wednesday evening, joining Ryan Moore, Zac Purton and Karis Teetan, and looks to record his second victory in the event. The 25-year-old reinsman, whose wife Hollie Doyle finished on the IJC podium in 2020 (third) and again in 2021 (second) and also takes her chances this time around, is looking forward to perhaps winning the title outright, after sharing the spoils with Silvestre de Sousa 12 months ago.

“Last year was a bit turbulent but it's fantastic to be back,” said Marquand, who just last month won his first Breeders' Cup race in his first ride aboard Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) in the Grade I Juvenile Turf Sprint. “It was great to win with Silvestre. You'd always rather win it on your own, but it's better to take it home with someone else than not at all.

“It looks like I've got a good enough book of rides that if things fall right it could all happen again, but it's a tough evening of racing and it's highly competitive.”

Marquand has two of his rides in the four-race competition for trainer Caspar Fownes, who has posted more wins at Happy Valley than any other trainer, and one each for Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro)'s conditioner Francis Lui and Ricky Yiu. The latter sends out top-weighted and 79-rated Splendid Living (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) in the third leg–carded as race seven–a Class 3 (80-60) over the 1650 metres. The 6-year-old gelding has a record of 4-3-1 from 10 runs over course and distance, but will need his best with the big weight and a tricky draw in 10.

Doyle is one of two females in the field and is joined British transplant and now Australian-based Rachel King. The 33-year-old showed that she could mix it with foreign riders in Japan's World All-Stars Jockeys, going down by a point to Mirai Iwata.

“Last time I was here I went and watched some races at Happy Valley, I'd just ridden in an amateur ladies' flat race in Macau,” King said.” So, it's been a bit of a journey to where I am now.

“I'm really looking forward to it, hopefully I'll have a few decent rides in there as well. Zac (Purton) was giving me a few little pointers, there are plenty of good people to learn from. I'll just try to get as much information as I can.”

Kazakhstan-born Bauyrzhan Murzabayev also makes his first IJC appearance off a strong season in France, during which he rode 60 winners–including 12 in black-type competition–for the legendary Andre Fabre. Like Marquand and Doyle, the four-time German and three-time Czech champion, jets in from Japan, where he is riding on a short-term contract for the second straight season.

“I am very lucky to have spent a year riding for Andre Fabre, who for me is a great trainer,” says Murzabayev. “I learned a lot from him and it was a good experience.

“I think I learn new tracks and places pretty quickly. But if somebody had told me 10 years ago 'you will be riding in all these top races,' I'm not sure I would have believed them.”

Also participating are Moore, James McDonald, Mickael Barzalona and Yuga Kawada from overseas, while Lyle Hewitson and Vincent Ho join Purton and Teetan in representing Hong Kong.

The IJC begins with the evening's fourth race at Happy Valley at 8.10pm local time (12.10pm GMT, 7.10am US Eastern Time). Click here for the race card.

 

The post ‘It Could All Happen Again’: Marquand A Live Chance In IJC Title Defence appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

De Sousa, Marquand Share Longines IJC Title

Coronavirus dictated that it wasn't exactly business at usual at Happy Valley Racecourse for the staging of Wednesday's Longines International Jockeys' Championship. But there was a return to at least some semblance of normalcy, as a crowd of about 11,000 fans filed into the stands and into the beer garden to watch Silvestre de Sousa finish level with Tom Marquand to cause a dead heat for just the third time in the history of the event. The duo shared HK$700,000 (£73,544) in prize money.

COVID-19 had already resulted original IJC invitees Yuga Kawada and Jye McNeil being sidelined for the meeting, and the virus claimed a third would-be participant Wednesday when France's Mickael Barzalona tested positive. Zac Purton was a warm favourite to bag a third IJC, but at the end of the day, he struck out, and the competition saw a different jockey win each of the four legs, forcing a countback to decide the winner–or, in this case, winners.

Vincent Ho, who will team up with Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) for a three-peat attempt in Sunday's G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile, struck in the first leg of the sequence driving the 8-1 chance Handsome Rebel (Aus) (Denman {Aus}) to a narrow victory over Faribault (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}) (video) for trainer Jamie Richards.

Derek Leung took Barzalona's place in the IJC and made the most of the opportunity in the second leg, scoring by a short head astride 135-pound topweight Win Win Fighter (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}) after favoured Royal Pride (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) slashed through one off the fence and looked on his way to victory (video) for McNeil's replacement Hugh Bowman. In was another feather in the cap for the homegrown Leung, whose previous crowning moment came aboard Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock {Aus}) in the 2017 Hong Kong Mile.

Neither Marquand nor De Sousa had pointed heading into the third of the IJC races, but that changed when Marquand's 11-1 chance Winning Dragon (Chi) (Ivan Denisovich) pegged back longshot Red Majesty (NZ) (Ferlax {NZ}), who was well-rated from the front by Lyle Hewitson–subbing for Kawada–but just failed to see it out at nearly 40-1 (video).

With as many as nine chances heading into the finale, it was De Sousa who capitalized from close range on Adios (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), just holding off a late surge from Red Lion (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) (video), a two-time winner and seventh in the Brittania H. at Royal Ascot this year for trainer Andrew Slattery when racing as Finach McHugh (Ire). Red Lion would have made Australia's Jamie Kah–who took a Class 3 handicap earlier in the evening for Douglas Whyte–the outright winner on the occasion of her 27th birthday, but the event was declared a tie, as both Marquand and De Sousa posted fourths in other legs of the series. Ho's best finish outside of his was a fifth-place effort, while Leung's next best was a sixth.

“To finish joint-top with Silvestre is pretty epic,” said Marquand, who finished tied for second behind Zac Purton here 12 months ago. “He's been champion jockey back home, he works so hard and is someone you look up to in the weighing room. It's a huge honour and sometimes you have to pinch yourself that these things are happening.”

Marquand's wife Hollie Doyle, third in the final IJC race after being under a COVID cloud until she was cleared to participate Tuesday, closed the Happy Valley meeting with a 9-1 upset of the Class 2 United Kingdom H. (1800m) on Spirited Express (Aus) (No Nay Never).

De Sousa, winner of the 2018 IJC, said: “I'm just delighted. It's my second time winning and I finished placed another time. In the last leg I just felt the crowd and although it was a long last half furlong, thank God he got his head down and we gave it everything.”

 

 

The post De Sousa, Marquand Share Longines IJC Title appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Doyle Gets All-Clear For Third Go at Longines IJC

Hollie Doyle may be the roughest chance in the field of 12 for Wednesday evening's Longines International Jockeys' Championship (IJC) at Hong Kong iconic 'city track' at Happy Valley Racecourse, but she'd be considering herself fortunate to take her chances at all.

The 26-year-old, who returned an 'indifferent' COVID test upon her arrival from Japan, was given the green light to compete Tuesday after the chief medical officer for the Hong Kong Jockey Club confirmed that the original result was a 're-positive' case, per a release.

“After careful clinical and laboratory assessments with the results having been communicated to the Government, the CMO is satisfied that Jockey Doyle is medically fit to fulfil her race riding engagements at the Happy Valley Racemeeting to be conducted on Wednesday, 7 December 2022,” the statement read.

Doyle became the first woman to record a victory in one of the four legs of the IJC in 2020 and has reached the podium in both her previous appearances, finishing in a tie for second that year and a joint-third in 2021.

Japan's Yuga Kawada misses the IJC after returning a positive test prior to his departure, while Jye McNeil is also sidelined on similar grounds. Lyle Hewitson takes Kawada's rides and Hugh Bowman, the 2016 IJC winner, slides in for his fellow Australian McNeil.

Over the last several years, the allotment of rides for the IJC has been altered to level the playing field, but, as luck would have it, two-time defending champion Zac Purton has been handed a strong book and is the $3.20 (11-5) favourite to take home the winner's share of HK$800,000 yet again. But he is taking nothing for granted.

“These are the best jockeys from around the world and they've had the most success in recent times as well,” said Purton, who currently sits on 54 winners, 32 clear of fellow IJC competitor Vincent Ho. “They're all in good form and it creates an element of interest for everyone.

“These are the biggest stars in our sport so to be able to compete with them on a night like this is an opportunity I appreciate. I enjoy having them in town and catching up with them as friends too, so it's good to see some familiar faces.”

Making her first IJC appearance is Australia's history-making Jamie Kah, the leading jockey in Melbourne in 2020/2021 and first to post 100 winners in a Melbourne metropolitan season.

“It's always been a dream of mine to ride in Hong Kong,” said Kah, “And this is my first time here. I literally had a stopover once but didn't set foot outside the airport. It's a buzz to be part of this IJC and The Hong Kong Jockey Club has looked after me amazingly well.”

Kah is rated an $18 chance for the IJC.

Along with Purton and Bowman, other past IJC winners looking to add to their totals include Silvestre de Sousa, who won it in 2018, and Ryan Moore, who shared the spoils with Christophe Lemaire and John Murtagh in 2009 before winning outright the following year.

The field is completed by Doyle's husband Tom Marquand, Mickael Barzalona, James McDonald and Matthew Chadwick.

The IJC kicks off with race four at 12:10pm BST (7:10 a.m. US Eastern Time) and features two Class Four (1000m, 1650m) and two Class 3 handicaps (1650m, 1200m).

The post Doyle Gets All-Clear For Third Go at Longines IJC appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights