The air at Happy Valley is electric. Come Wednesday, 10 December, the world’s best jockeys will descend on Hong Kong for the 2025 LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC), promising a spectacle that blends raw talent, fierce competition, and racing history. Among the star-studded line-up are five former IJC champions — Ryan Moore, Zac Purton, Mickael Barzalona, Joao Moreira, and Christophe Lemaire — each carrying the hopes of their fans and the weight of their reputations.
For Moore, the two-time IJC winner, participation remains uncertain as he recovers from a leg injury. Yet his presence alone casts a shadow of anticipation over the track. “We have one of the strongest line-ups in recent years,” said Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing at The Hong Kong Jockey Club. “It’s a contest that attracts the finest riders from across the globe, and this year is no exception.”
New Zealand’s James McDonald, twice crowned LONGINES World’s Best Jockey, enters the event at the peak of his form. Norwegian-born British rider William Buick, Britain’s top jockey, and two celebrated female jockeys, Hollie Doyle and Rachel King, add further intrigue, while former Hong Kong-based Umberto Rispoli represents the United States.
The LONGINES IJC is renowned not only for prestige but also for its lucrative prize structure. Four races carry a combined HK$7.5 million in purses, with bonus money of HK$1 million awarded to the most successful riders. The scoring system is straightforward yet unforgiving: 12 points for a win, six for second, and four for third across the four legs, culminating in the crowning of the season’s IJC champion.
This year’s roster promises high drama. Purton, an eight-time Hong Kong Champion Jockey, is chasing a record fourth IJC crown, while Moore, Moreira, and Lemaire each bring decades of global success. McDonald has recently swept the Hong Kong Triple Crown and captured his fourth consecutive W.S. Cox Plate in Australia, while Barzalona dazzled fans with victories including the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
The championship will also spotlight breakthrough performances. Doyle, Britain’s most successful female jockey, and King, the first female jockey to claim a Group 1 race in Japan, could shake up expectations. Rispoli, fresh from a historic Preakness Stakes victory, adds an international edge.
The Happy Valley course will see a carefully balanced allocation of rides, designed to ensure competitiveness and fairness. With stakes this high and the world’s elite jockeys vying for glory, the 2025 LONGINES IJC promises a racing day to remember — a fusion of speed, skill, and strategy, where every furlong matters.
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