THE LONGINES INTERNATIONAL JOCKEYS’ CHAMPIONSHIP AT HAPPY VALLEY – ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

By Darren Winningham | Tuesday, December 9, 2025

The curtain rises on Hong Kong’s greatest week of racing on Wednesday, 10 December, as the spotlight swings to the floodlit cauldron of Happy Valley for the 2025 LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) — a night where global jockeys collide and reputations are made in four unforgettable races.

This year’s international lineup is nothing short of spectacular, a world-class cast drawn from the biggest racing nations:

Mickael Barzalona (France) – the defending champion, poised to fight for back-to-back titles.

Umberto Rispoli (USA)

Rachel King (Australia)

James McDonald (New Zealand… though Australians will proudly claim him)

Hollie Doyle (Great Britain)

Ryan Moore (Great Britain)

William Buick (Great Britain)

Joao Moreira (Brazil) – the Magic Man returns.

Christophe Lemaire (Japan)

Flying the home colours and carrying the hopes of the Hong Kong faithful are four local titans:

Zac Purton

Vincent Ho

Hugh Bowman

Noting that each of these jockeys representing Hong Kong have won the LONGINES IJC previously!

At stake is a massive HK$1 million in bonus prize money for the jockeys — HK$600,000 to the champion, HK$250,000 to the runner-up, and HK$150,000 for third.

In a move that reflects the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s commitment to innovation, the trainers who prepare these equine athletes are now part of the spotlight too, with a HK$500,000 prize pool (HK$300,000, HK$125,000, HK$75,000) awaiting the top three.

The format is simple — and ruthlessly competitive. Points are awarded on a 12–6–4 basis for first, second, and third, and after four fiercely contested races the jockey with the highest total will be crowned the LONGINES IJC Champion.

Where better to stage this global showdown than Happy Valley — one of the true wonders of world racing.

A track surrounded by skyscrapers and a city vibrating around it.

Every year I make a ritual of visiting Happy Valley on the Sunday before IJC night. In daylight it becomes something entirely different — a living, breathing community hub. Locals jog the perimeter. Families stroll the paths. Sporting matches and community activities fill the vast central infield. It’s not just a racetrack — it’s a multi-purpose heartbeat of Hong Kong life.

But on Wednesday night, it transforms. The lights glow, the crowd’s come in their thousands and the world watches.

And I cannot wait to be trackside, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with thousands of racing fans as LONGINES presents a great spectacle — the 2025 International Jockeys’ Championship at Happy Valley. If you can’t be here, you should settle in a treat yourself to a watching a fantastic night of racing on TV.

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