Fair Draw For McEvoy In Hong Kong International Jockeys’ Championship

Australian jockey Kerrin McEvoy is not without a chance of winning back-to-back Hong Kong International Jockeys’ Championship titles after he was allocated three fair rides for the series that will be held at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.

Kerrin McEvoy has the chance to win back-to-back Hong Kong International Jockeys' Championship titles at Happy Valley on Tuesday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Kerrin McEvoy has the chance to win back-to-back Hong Kong International Jockeys’ Championship titles at Happy Valley on Tuesday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

McEvoy got the best out of a mixed bag of rides to claim the HK$500,000 on offer for winning the Hong Kong International Jockeys’ Championship and will need to be at his very best to defeat 11 of the best jockeys in the world.

All 12 horses in the four heats of the Hong Kong International Jockeys’ Championship were randomly allocated jockeys yesterday and the draw did not start well for McEvoy after he drew Very Well in the opening leg of The Championship.

Very Well has not recorded a race win since he took out the Cheung Hong Handicap (1800m) at Happy Valley in September of last year and has finished 12th in both of his race starts this preparation; with the Medicean gelding set to start the race as an outsider.

McEvoy is a much better chance of getting a result in the second race of the series after he allocated Derek Cruz-trained Glory Horsie, who was purchased for $525,000 at the 2010 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Glory Horsie failed to fire in the Chevalier Engineering Handicap (1000m) at Sha Tin on November 30, but before that finished third in the Revlon Handicap (1000m) on November 9 and took out the Kiu Tsui Handicap (1000m) on October 12.

McEvoy’s four rides in the Hong Kong International Jockeys’ Championship are rounded out by last start placegetter Southern Springs and Tony Millard-trained Supreme Flight.

The other Australian representative in the Hong Kong International Jockeys’ Championship is James McDonald and he will likely need a bit of luck to have any success in the series.

McDonald will start the series of out of form Commands gelding Cheers Victories, who has failed to fire in his three race starts this preparation, before he takes the ride on last start winner Expectator, who was ridden to a second place finish by McEvoy in the Hong Kong International Jockeys’ Championship last year.

The Premiership winning hoop will ride John Moore-trained Sunny Ying, who finished tenth behind Blazing Speed in the Group 2 Jockey Club Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin on November 23, before he finishes the Championship with the ride on consistent galloper Sempiternal.

British Champion jockey Richard Hughes, Japanese hoop Yuichi Fukunaga and Hong Kong-based Joao Moreira also fared well at the Hong Kong International Jockeys’ Championship draw, while Zac Purton will need to be at his very best following a mixed draw.

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.