Irad Ortiz Jr. to compete in Hong Kong's International Jockeys' Championship

Irad Ortiz Jr. to compete in Hong Kong's International

Jockeys' Championship

The 2014 International Jockeys' Championship takes place at Happy Valley

racecourse on December 10, when 12 of the world's elite riders will compete for

a share of the HK$800,000 purse. 

A first-prize of HK$500,000 makes Hong Kong's IJC among the most lucrative

competitions of its kind in the world and the four-race contest annually

attracts superstars from around the globe. Second place is worth HK$200,000 and

third place HK$100,000.

For this year's IJC, the Hong Kong Jockey Club has again assembled a stellar

line-up of international riders. Three-time British champion jockey and Group 1

ace Ryan Moore leads the standings for the inaugural Longines World's Best

Jockey award. He heads to Happy Valley having bagged 15 Group 1 wins in seven

countries so far this year. 

Richard Hughes recently completed a hat-trick of champion jockey titles in

Britain; Christophe Soumillon is on the cusp of his seventh title in France; Pat

Smullen was crowned Ireland's champion for the seventh time this year; New

Zealand's James McDonald took the Sydney premiership last season and has twice

won the title in his homeland; and S'Manga Khumalo is South Africa's reigning

champion jockey. 

From North America, Irad Ortiz Jr. is one of that continent's outstanding

young talents. Not only was he crowned leading rider at Belmont's fall meeting

this year, but the Puerto Rican also notched a first Breeders' Cup success

earlier this month. Japan's two-time champion jockey Yuichi Fukunaga is a man

with an international Group 1 pedigree, as is Australia's Kerrin McEvoy, the

reigning IJC champion, who won the Melbourne Premiership in 2012/2013 and is one

for the big occasions.

"Once again the Longines IJC has attracted an exceptional array of talent

from around the world -- this is a line-up of champions. The consistently high

quality of participants, year on year, is testament to the international

importance of this event," said William A. Nader, the Hong Kong Jockey Club's

executive director of racing.

"This competition has a long tradition of showcasing great riders and this

year we have nine of the very best overseas jockeys, all in exceptional form,

who will come here and take on three of Hong Kong's very own. That trio will

likely include the outstanding pair of Zac Purton and Joao Moreira, two of world

racing's finest talents. It will be exciting; it will be thrilling; the

atmosphere at Happy Valley will be electric."    

Purton is set to take his place thanks to his status as the reigning Hong

Kong champion jockey. The brilliant Australian became only the second rider ever

to accumulate a century of winners in a Hong Kong season when winning the title

for the first time in July. Also likely to line up is the Brazilian sensation

Joao Moreira who seems likely to qualify as the current Hong Kong Premiership

leader. Moreira is a four-time Singapore champion jockey and was runner-up to

Purton in last season's title race.

The final spot is open to Hong Kong's leading homegrown jockey (a graduate of

the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Apprentice Jockeys' School) according to the

standings on November 26. That looks like being Vincent Ho whose 14 wins for the

season so far are five more than his nearest local rivals.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com