The 2026 LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) will be held on the evening of Wednesday, 9 December, at Happy Valley Racecourse, bringing together the world’s top jockeys to compete for glory. This year’s star-studded lineup includes Ryan Moore, James McDonald, William Buick, and Mickael Barzalona—who currently occupy the top five spots in the LONGINES World’s Best Jockey rankings—alongside reigning Hong Kong Champion Jockey Zac Purton. They will be joined by Saffie Osborne, Colin Keane, Rachel King, Christophe Lemaire, and Joao Moreira. Mr. Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, praised the exceptional lineup, extending a special welcome to Saffie Osborne, the record-breaking female jockey making her Hong Kong debut, and expressed confidence that this iconic stage will deliver a thrilling racing experience for fans. The championship features 12 spots in total, with the remaining two slots to be allocated after the race meeting on 25 November to the highest-ranked homegrown jockey and the highest-ranked eligible jockey on the Hong Kong championship standings.
The participating riders boast illustrious track records. Moore and Purton have each won the IJC on three occasions, with the latter seeking a record-breaking fourth title and holding the all-time record for wins in Hong Kong. Barzalona, Moreira, and Lemaire have also previously claimed the IJC crown, while Buick and King secured a joint runner-up finish and a second runner-up finish, respectively, in past editions. Defending champion Moore was awarded an MBE this year and inducted into the British Champions Series Hall of Fame. McDonald broke the Australian record for Group 1 wins by a jockey and secured his eighth consecutive Sydney Champion Jockey title. Godolphin’s retained rider Buick and back-to-back Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winning jockey Barzalona have both achieved outstanding results in European majors. Additionally, Osborne, who became the first female jockey to win a British Classic; Irish Champion Jockey Keane; King, who has successively secured Group 1 victories in Japan and Australia; Lemaire, who continues to dominate Japanese racing; and the eleven-time participant Moreira, all add tremendous appeal to the event.
The IJC consists of four legs with a total prize money of HK$7.5 million. Points are awarded based on finishing positions in each leg: 12 points for a win, six for second, and four for third. In the event of a dead-heat, the points for the affected positions will be added and divided by the number of dead-heating horses. The jockey with the highest total points will be crowned the champion; if points are tied, the finishing positions in the top four will be used to determine the winner. The top three riders in the final standings will share an additional HK$1 million bonus, receiving HK$600,000, HK$250,000, and HK$150,000, respectively. To encourage trainers to enter their horses, a special trainer bonus is established, with the top three trainers accumulating the most points across the four legs receiving HK$300,000, HK$125,000, and HK$75,000, respectively.
To ensure intense competition and fair allocation, a specialized ride allocation model will be utilized again this year. The Jockey Club’s team will assess the form of all entries based on the estimated average winning chances provided by Jockey Challenge odds compilers. Following the barrier draw on Monday, 7 December, the team will submit their final assessments without knowing which jockey will be paired with which horse, allocating four rides to each jockey. The minimum riding weight for the championship is 118 lbs. Should there be more than 12 entries in any leg, the handicapping department will give priority to horses with strong recent form. It is worth noting that eligible homegrown jockeys will not receive their usual weight allowances in the four IJC legs, and apprentice jockeys are ineligible to participate, though substitute jockeys remain eligible to earn points.
Source: HKJC