“The 2012 LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship has a great line-up of global talent, one that befits a world-renowned contest which now offers HK$500,000 more in overall prize money than it did 12 months ago,” said William A Nader, HKJC’s Executive Director of Racing. “This event is one of the most exciting in the Hong Kong racing calendar and an important event on the international stage – one in which the world’s elite jockeys test their skills and their mettle in a unique battle for supremacy around the iconic Happy Valley Racecourse.”

Representing eight countries or regions, the invited jockeys include four past winners of the LONGINES IJC – Douglas Whyte (2002, 2007, 2008), Olivier Peslier (1998, 2006), Ryan Moore (2009 dead-heat, 2010) and Christophe Lemaire (2009 dead-heat).

Peslier has been champion jockey in France on four occasions. The Frenchman’s Arc victory in October is the latest in a string of G1 triumphs that stretches across the globe over three decades and includes a remarkable three consecutive Breeders’ Cup Mile wins on the great mare Goldikova. Compatriot Lemaire too has won a host of the world’s top G1 races including last year’s Melbourne Cup.

Moore has clinched the UK champion jockey title three times. His Hong Kong wins include the G1 AP QEII Cup on Presvis and the G1 HK Cup on Snow Fairy, and he recently landed the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on George Vancouver. Meanwhile, compatriot William Buick is one of the world’s best young jockeys and heads to Happy Valley with eight G1 wins on the board in 2012.

Queally’s name in legend is assured as the rider of one of the sport’s all-time greats, Frankel. But the rider is a talent in his own right as attested to by his tally of 23 G1 wins since he broke his top level duck four seasons ago.

Add seasoned elite campaigners Craig Williams from Australia and Yuichi Fukunaga from Japan alongside Moreira, who has notched almost 200 wins in Singapore this season as he heads to a third straight championship, and the contest is primed to be a classic.

Of course, the competition is not complete without the home riders, headed by Whyte, Hong Kong’s very own uninterrupted 12-time champion jockey and record three-time IJC winner. The last two places will be filled by the current season’s leading Hong Kong jockey (other than Whyte) and the leading Hong Kong local jockey* according to the standings on 22 November.

List of invited jockeys for LONGINES IJC 2012

The 2012 LONGINES IJC is a four-race competition in which the following points will be given to each jockey according to the placing of his mount, and the ranking of each jockey will be determined by the total number of points earned in the four races:

12 points for 1^st; 6 points for 2^nd; 4 points for 3^rd.

In the case of dead-heats for any of the first three placings, points will be added and then divided by the number of horses involved. The appropriate points will then be awarded to the relevant jockey. The count-back will be to 4th place.

After the opening of wagering in the Jockey Challenge, no substitute rides are eligible for points. In the LONGINES IJC competition, however, substitute jockeys are eligible for points and related prize money.

The IJC champion will be the jockey with the highest accumulated points.

This year there is a 20% increase in prize money for the four IJC races for the horses’ connections.

(*Local jockeys with 2 or 3 lb claims are eligible for selection for the LONGINES IJC. There will be no claiming allowance in the four LONGINES IJC races.)