The battle for a spot as the leading homegrown rider in this year’s International Jockeys’ Championship is heating up after a host of jockeys traded blows at Happy Valley last night.
Local riders dominated early proceedings at Happy Valley, winning the first five races, as they each staked their claim for a place at the prestigious IJC.
Matthew Poon Ming-fai struck earliest of all by winning the first two races of the evening, while Vincent Ho Chak-yiu and Angus Chung Yik-lai staked their claim with successes of their own. Keith Yeung Ming-lun, who has some work to do if he wants to grab the IJC spot, also got in on the act when he won race five.
“It’s great to see,” legendary trainer Tony Cruz told The Standard. “Each of them has given some great rides tonight. If you look at Angus’ ride on my horse [Beauty Glory], it was just perfect.”
The International Jockeys’ Championship will take place at Happy Valley on December 10, when 12 of the world’s top riders will fight it out for the coveted trophy over four legs.
Alongside the nine international jockeys taking part, three Hong Kong-based riders will wage war on the Happy Valley turf. Of the contingent based at Sha Tin, last season’s Champion Jockey will join the rider who sits in second place in the jockeys’ championship and the highest-ranked local jockey.
Zac Purton is already locked in to represent Hong Kong as last season’s champion, while the race is on for the other two spots, which will be decided after the Happy Valley meeting on November 26.
With apprentice jockey Ellis Wong Chi-wang not eligible for the event, Ho moved into pole position early on the card when Turin Warrior burst from the rear of the field to win the fourth race of the evening over 1,650 meters.
Ho, who surged to eight wins for the season thanks to Turin Warrior, sits one win clear of Jerry Chau Chun-lok and two ahead of Derek Leung Ka-chung, Matthew Chadwick, Angus Chung Yik-lai and Matthew Poon Ming-fai.
Poon began the evening in perfect style when he collected a race-to-race double thanks to a pair of Class 5 winners in the form of Lucky Blessing and Double Bingo.
Chung’s success came in the third race of the evening when he led from pillar to post aboard the Tony Cruz-trained Beauty Glory, while Yeung sprung a shock in the fifth race on the card aboard 83.5 shot Team Team Folks.
