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Glory Vase Wins Second Hong Kong Vase At Sha Tin

Champion jockey Joao Moreira combined with the Tomohito Ozeki-trained Japanese stayer Glory Vase for a stunning win in the Group 1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong Sunday.

It was a repeat of their 2019 success but achieved in different style as Moreira registered his seventh Hong Kong International win and his third in the Vase having also been successful on the Japanese-trained Satono Crown in 2016.

Glory Vase unleashed a withering burst from second last turning for home, in contrast to the handier stalking passage he enjoyed in 2019, to deny fairytale results for the trainers of the placegetters. Briton William Muir with his Hong Kong debut runner in second-placed Pyledriver and Frenchman Alain de Royer-Dupre – twice a HKIR winner – who prepared third place Ebaiyra, who'll be his final Hong Kong runner as the trainer retires at the end of the year.

Local challenger Reliable Team led, as expected, but was exposed early to significant pressure from Stay Foolish, the one other Japanese-trained runner, with Martin Dwyer – who won the Vase in 2004 – ensuring that Pyledriver enjoyed the slipstream run behind the pacemakers and the Muir-trained stayer looked the likely winner on straightening but could not hold out the indefatigable Glory Vase.

Dwyer was delighted with the performance of his mount but conceded, which was apparent for all to see, that the winner was simply too good.

“Really pleased, good run but I think the winner is very good,” Dwyer said.

Moreira, meanwhile, was understandably upbeat about the winner whom he described as his “best chance” in the International Races in the preamble to the meeting.

“No doubts about it, I did enjoy it so much,” Moreira said, “this win and everything in my life is to the honor of Jesus Christ, who has been in my life always and today has been a very good example.

“I felt Him with me and everything went as I expected. I had a smooth run, going to the fence and saving ground. I just made sure I got into the clear and I know he's a very strong horse at the finish and there was not a fight.

“He has proven to be the best horse today.”

Christophe Soumillon, who rode minor placegetter Ebaiyra, said the French filly performed creditably. “She ran well, she was a bit keen in the first part of the race. When we came to the last turn, I thought she would probably fight for the win but the last 200 (meters), she got tired.”

Last year's winner Mogul conceded meekly in the home straight after being poised to challenge coming to the home turn and jockey Ryan Moore said he was “disappointing”.

Glory Vase won by one length from Pyledriver with Ebaiyra a further two and a half lengths back in third. Glory Vase was competing in Hong Kong for the second time this year having finished second to Loves Only You in the G1 FWD Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m) in April.

Hong Kong racing continues this Wednesday, December 15, at Happy Valley.

The post Glory Vase Wins Second Hong Kong Vase At Sha Tin appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Moore, McDonald Lead International Cast For Longines IJC

Eight high-profile overseas jockeys will join four Hong Kong-based riders to compete for the HK$500,000 top prize in the Longines International Jockeys' Championship to be held at the iconic Happy Valley Racecourse on Hong Kong Island Wednesday, Dec. 8.

Ryan Moore is set to jet in to make a 15th appearance at the IJC, having dead-heated for the spoils with John Murtagh and Christophe Lemaire in 2009 before winning the title outright 12 months hence. Moore, who has finished on the podium four times since his most recent victory, currently sits atop the Longines World's Best Jockey standings, having partnered this season with the likes of G1 Prince of Wales's S. victress Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}); St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), four times a Group 1 winner this term; treble Oaks winner Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}); and G1 Cheveley Park S. hero Tenebrism (Caravaggio), to name only a few.

New Zealand-born, but Sydney-based James McDonald comes into the IJC in flying form, as he rode a record-setting 10 winners during the Melbourne Cup Carnival, including the main event aboard Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}), one of four top-level scores. McDonald is the clear leader for the jockeys' premiership in both Sydney and New South Wales.

Yuga Kawada is Japan's second-leading jockey by number of winners (trailing only Lemaire) and is winning with 28.3% of his rides, a remarkable strike rate on the very competitive JRA circuit. He helped make history for the island nation at the Breeders' Cup meeting, guiding Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to a slashing landmark success in the GI Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar. He also booted home 46-1 gamble Danon Kingly (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in this year's G1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo.

Hollie Doyle and partner Tom Marquand make a return visit to Happy Valley this year. Doyle made a bit of history of her own at the 2020 IJC, becoming the first female rider to win one of the legs to finish in a share of third with Alexis Badel. The couple were fifth and third, respectively, in this year's British Flat Racing Jockeys' Championship.

South Africa's Lyle Hewitson makes his IJC debut this year, having recently secured a third South Africa Champion Jockey title in the 2020/2021 season.

Other foreign invitees include: IJC debuter Damian Lane (Australia) and Mickael Barzalona (France).

Defending champion Zac Purton and his arch-rival Joao Moreira–winner of the 2012 IJC when representing Singapore–fly the Bauhinia flag and will be joined by the highest-ranked rider in Hong Kong as well as the leading homegrown rider.

The four races that comprise the IJC are worth HK$6.2 million and each of the races–two Class 3 handicaps and two in Class four–is set to receive a 20% boost in prize money for the event. Trainers will also be incentivised to enter their horses, as a total of HK$350,000 will be split among the three trainers whose horses accumulate the most points.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club has gained approval from the HKSAR government to host the IJC and the weekend's Longines Hong Kong International Races with stringent COVID-related protocols in place.

The post Moore, McDonald Lead International Cast For Longines IJC appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Ryan Moore Headlines Star-Studded Lineup For Hong Kong’s International Jockeys’ Championship

A stellar line-up featuring established greats and riders with red hot recent form will contest the LONGINES International Jockeys' Championship (IJC) at Happy Valley Racecourse on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021.

The exciting line-up includes three previous winners of the world's most coveted jockey challenge crown, including Zac Purton and reigning Hong Kong Champion Jockey Joao Moreira, both multiple champions on the world's most intensely competitive circuit. Reigning LONGINES IJC champion Zac Purton and Ryan Moore will both chase a record-equaling third IJC title.

The HK$800,000 LONGINES IJC is a four-race competition for 12 elite jockeys, and this year's edition features eight overseas riders and four based in Hong Kong, all battling for the HK$500,000 (about US$64,000) top prize, the most lucrative jockeys' challenge winner's cheque in the world.

Ryan Moore is no stranger to the LONGINES IJC, readying for his 15th appearance in the prestigious event at the iconic city circuit. Currently sitting at the top of the LONGINES World's Best Jockey standings, Moore will have another opportunity to add further gloss to his already incredible record in the saddle at Happy Valley next month.

In-form James McDonald joins the star-studded list, having performed at an exceptional level this year. Hailing from New Zealand, McDonald recently broke the record for the most wins in a Melbourne Cup Carnival week, securing 10 victories – including the G1 Melbourne Cup – across the four meetings to surpass Brett Prebble's record of nine.

McDonald, who ranks third in the LONGINES World's Best Jockey standings behind Ryan Moore (112 points) with 96 points, in the best form of his career, having plundered four G1 victories during the four-day Melbourne Cup carnival and is also a clear leader in both the New South Wales and Sydney jockeys' championships.

Yuga Kawada – one of Japan's leading riders – is also performing at the top of his game and arrives in Hong Kong at the end of a year highlighted by his historic win with Loves Only You – the first Japanese-trained runner to score a Breeders' Cup triumph, claiming the G1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar earlier this month. Through the current JRA season, Kawada is riding in sublime form with a win strike rate above 28%.

Meanwhile, Australian talent Damian Lane will join the contest for the first time. The 27-year-old rider has firmly established himself as one of the world's rising talents, winning three out of the four legs of Australian racing's 'Grand Slam' by securing the Golden Slipper aboard Kiamichi, Caulfield Cup aboard Mer De Glace and W.S. Cox Plate with Lys Gracieux in 2019.

Mickael Barzalona, representing France, will make his fourth LONGINES IJC appearance this year. He became one of the youngest riders ever to win the Derby when Pour Moi won at Epsom in 2011 and he added another Classic success to his record last year when Andre Fabre's Victor Ludorum won the French 2000 Guineas. His latest G1 win came on Sealiway in the Champion Stakes at Ascot in October.

Aged 30, Barzalona currently leads the French jockeys' championship – the Cravache d'Or – with 172 winners so far for the season after a five-timer at Marseille on Sunday (Nov. 14).

British duo, Tom Marquand and Hollie Doyle, will join the contest for the second time as two of world racing's most rapidly ascending stars. Aged 23 and 25 respectively, the couple sealed third and fifth place in the 2021 British Flat Racing Jockeys Championship and both made their LONGINES IJC debuts last year. In 2020, Doyle became the first female jockey to win a leg of the IJC, allowing her to finish joint third with Alexis Badel in the event.

South Africa will be represented in the LONGINES IJC for the first time since Gavin Lerena's appearance in 2016 with Lyle Hewitson slated to make his debut. The 24-year-old rider, after spending six months riding in Hong Kong through the 2019/2020 season, not only scored a pair of G2 triumphs in Japan but also captured his third South Africa Champion Jockey title in the 2020/2021 season. He has returned to Hong Kong to ride this term.

The final two spots on the 12-rider roster for the LONGINES International Jockeys' Championship will go to the highest-ranked rider in the Hong Kong championship standings, as well as the leading homegrown rider (a graduate of the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Apprentice Jockeys' School) at the cut-off date, which follows the race meeting on Wednesday, 24 November 2021.

Mr. Andrew Harding, the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Executive Director, Racing, said: “The LONGINES Hong Kong International Races and International Jockeys' Championship is the flagship event of Hong Kong racing and one of the World's top five racing events. It is a symbol of Hong Kong's world-class racing and the city's most prestigious international event.

“This year's LONGINES IJC has all the ingredients to provide another memorable edition. We have a fantastic line-up of accomplished riders, many of whom are in career-best form, including Yuga Kawada and James McDonald. Added to that is the return of Tom Marquand and Hollie Doyle who are competing for the second time and will again add great excitement to what is always a thrilling contest.”

“We are delighted to have assembled an outstanding cast of riders and we are looking forward to a great night of sport set against the backdrop of one of the most iconic racecourses in the world.”

“We are grateful for the opportunity to stage the event and will be meticulous in our implementation of the HKIR 2021 racing bubble that underpins this,” said Mr Harding.

The post Ryan Moore Headlines Star-Studded Lineup For Hong Kong’s International Jockeys’ Championship appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Hong Kong Racing Study Guide: Best Riders By ROI

The 2021-2022 Hong Kong Jockey Club season began on September 5 and will continue with racing twice a week until July 16. The rider colony has been dominated by Joao Moreira and Zac Purton as they have shared the last eight titles but the more familiar you are with the other riders, the better you will be. The racing is extremely competitive and the riders are under extreme scrutiny from the racing officials. At the end of each racing day, they issue warnings, reprimands and suspensions when the rules are not being followed. As a bettor, rest assured you are getting a fair shake.

The leading riders win the most races but they also receive the most backing. Blindly betting them rarely works out over time. In Hong Kong, there are just over 20 riders that have licenses to ride. Because the average field size is over 12, many of them are kept busy but don't always get quality mounts. Thus, many have very low win percentages. Still, when they win, they can pay well.

The following are the leading jockeys from the 2020-2021 season based on wins:

Jockey	Wins	Rides	Money Earned
Joao Moreira	157	742	$1,212.90
Zac Purton	125	713	$1,180.20
Karis Teetan	79	741	$1,182.80
Vincent Ho	61	614	$910.50
Jerry Chau	58	481	$1,044.80
Alexis Badel	58	622	$943.40
Derek Leung	39	609	$1,146.30
Matthew Poon	37	537	$965.30
Matthew Chadwick	31	458	$670.90
Antoine Hamelin	27	538	$690.40
Chad Schofield	26	390	$463.90
Blake Shinn	24	374	$784.30
Vagner Borges	22	435	$1,006.00

Takeout on win betting in Hong Kong is 17.5% so an average win payoff of $1.65 exceeds the takeout. The following are the leading jockeys from the 2020-2021 season based on a ROI per $2 win bet:

Jockey	Wins	Rides	Money Earned	$2 Bet/Horse	ROI
Vagner Borges	22	435	$1,006.00	$870.00	$2.31
Jerry Chau	58	481	$1,044.80	$962.00	$2.17
Blake Shinn	24	374	$784.30	$748.00	$2.10
Derek Leung	39	609	$1,146.30	$1,218.00	$1.88
Matthew Poon	37	537	$965.30	$1,074.00	$1.80
Zac Purton	125	713	$1,180.20	$1,426.00	$1.66
Joao Moreira	157	742	$1,212,90	$1,484.00	$1.63
Karis Teetan	79	741	$1,182.80	$1,482.00	$1.60
Alexis Badel	58	622	$943.40	$1,244.00	$1.52
Vincent Ho	61	614	$910.50	$1,228.00	$1.48
Matthew Chadwick	31	458	$670.90	$916.00	$1.46
Antoine Hamelin	27	538	$690.40	$1,076.00	$1.28
Chad Schofield	26	390	$463.90	$780.00	$1.19

Some words of caution:

Vagner Borges benefitted from wins that paid $359.30 (race 563) and $117.50 (race 40).

Blake Shinn benefitted from a win that paid $151.90 (race 349).

Derek Leung benefited from wins that paid $138.20 (race 247) and $121.60 (race 257).

Jerry Chau continues to thrive with his five-pound apprentice allowance and his results are the most predictable.

As far as pari-mutuel payoffs, there is little statistical difference between Zac Purton (ROI = $1.66), Joao Moreira (ROI = $1.63) and Karis Teetan (ROI = $1.60).

The post Hong Kong Racing Study Guide: Best Riders By ROI appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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