POWER couple Hollie Doyle and Tom Marquand will head to Hong Kong next month to compete with the best jockeys in the world.
Twelve global stars will race on the £600,000 Happy Valley card, with the likes of Ryan Moore and Will Buick also flying across.
And Doyle is the first female rider to compete in the International Jockeys’ Championship in 11 years.
The duo have enjoyed a season to remember with both winning their first Group 1s and Royal Ascot winners, shooting them into the limelight.
Marquand also landed his first Classic in the St Leger and the couple were both in with a shout of becoming Champion Jockey until late in the season.
Really looking forward to heading over to Hong Kong for the @Longines international Jockeys Championship with Hollie next month
#HKIR https://t.co/TLjfkiNu5p
— Tom Marquand (@TomMarquand) November 18, 2020
A total of 12 jockeys – six based in Hong-Kong and six overseas stars – will compete for the £50,000 first prize for top jockey, the highest jockeys purse in the world.
The exciting line-up includes four previous winners of the world’s most sought-after jockey challenge, in Zac Purton, Joao Moreira and Karis Teetan, as well as Ryan Moore who returns to the spectacular city circuit seeking a record-equalling third IJC title.
French superstar Pierre Charles-Boudot is another A-lister set to compete.
The prize is awarded to the jockey who wins the highest number of points in four specialist races on the card.
Last year it was won by Hong-Kong-based superstar Karis Teetan.
Visiting riders will undergo multiple COVID-19 tests before travelling to Hong Kong and upon arrival will go straight into their designated accommodation under strict quarantine to ensure no contact with the community.
They will also be under continuous medical surveillance by the Club’s Chief Medical Officer – including daily COVID-19 tests and twice daily temperature checks – and on IJC night at Happy Valley, the visiting riders will occupy a separate jockeys’ rooms away from the Hong Kong-based riders.
Andrew Harding, Hong Kong Jockey Club Executive Director, Racing, said: “This year’s LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship has all the factors in place to be a classic edition.
“We have a fantastic line-up of gifted riders, and a young duo in Tom Marquand and Hollie Doyle competing for the first time will add even greater excitement to what is always a thrilling contest.
“The Jockey Club has succeeded again in putting together an outstanding cast of riders and we are looking forward to a great night of sport set against the backdrop of one of the most iconic racecourses in the world.
“We are so pleased that, with strict protocols in place, the event can be a truly international occasion.
“The prize money increases, which make this year’s edition the richest yet, further reinforcing the prestige associated with the event.”
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