Past South African champion jockey Gavin Lerena will defend his title against an outstanding line-up of the world’s best jockeys at Happy Valley Racecourse on Wednesday, 7 December for the HK$800,000 2016 LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship.
Gavin Lerena – with the 2015 title he is set to defend this week
Lerena, fresh off his Summer Cup win, departed with his Dad Tex on Monday.
The annual four-race showcase at Hong Kong’s iconic downtown venue is the richest and arguably the most competitive jockey challenge there is.
Four of Hong Kong’s elite riders and eight overseas aces will vie for the HK$500,000 winner’s prize, with HK$200,000 going to the runner-up and HK$100,000 to the third-placed jockey.
Magic Joao Moreira
Hong Kong’s champion Joao Moreira, a LONGINES IJC winner in 2012, will pit his wits and skills against home-based rivals and overseas challengers.
The latter group will feature English super star Ryan Moore; Australian big-race ace Hugh Bowman; Ireland’s nine-time champion Pat Smullen; Japan’s win-machine Keita Tosaki; Italy’s Japan-based dynamo Mirco Demuro and two brilliant Frenchmen, Mickael Barzalona and the US-based Florent Geroux.
The great night kicks off the build-up to the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races on 11 December.
