By Alan Carasso
Four different riders from four different jurisdictions each won a single event during Wednesday night's Longines International Jockeys' Championship at Happy Valley Racecourse, but by virtue of an additional runner-up effort, Australia's Hugh Bowman added to what has been a fairy tale season with a narrow victory over England's Ryan Moore. Italian Mirco Demuro and Keita Tosaki were the night's other winning jockeys.
Bowman got the night off to a reasonably formful start when partnering with 17-5 second favorite Premiere (NZ) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) for trainer John Size in race four (video), but Moore leveled the score in the second leg of the series with a 1 3/4-length victory atop the Tony Millard-conditioned favorite Giant Turtle (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) (video).
Bowman appeared to be on his way to a second victory in leg three when 21-10 second choice Kiram (Fr) (Elusive City) led deep into the final furlong, but Demuro tossed his name into the hat by throwing 8-1 Mutual Joy (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) over the line first in a dramatic finish (video). Moore added two points to his total with a dead-heat for third to take the tally to 18-14 in favor of the Aussie entering the final leg. Also alive into the finale with longshot chances were Florent Geroux on 8 points and Douglas Whyte with 6 points.
Moore had the call on favored Beauty Prince (GB) (Arcano {Ire}), but the duo got too far back in the field and lost a photo for third. With Bowman out of the reckoning and down the field in eighth, Tosaki earned a share of third with Demuro, guiding Big Bang Bong (Ire) (Big Bad Bob {Ire}) to a 28-1 upset (video). Moore could have tied Bowman with 18 points had the eighth-race photo gone in his favor.
For Bowman, a three-time champion in Sydney, it was another feather in the cap of a brilliant season. The regular rider of Australia's Horse of the Year Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}), his association with Hong Kong-based trainer John Moore yielded victories in the Hong Kong Derby and G1 Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup. Wednesday's IJC victory was worth HK$500,000.
“I thought in the last either I had to beat Ryan or we both had to score no points, and he was on the even-money favourite,” a relieved Bowman explained. “In the run I was supremely confident that my horse could run a place, but he didn't let down, and I must admit on the line, I thought Ryan had run third, so it was an anxious few moments, but we got the victory. I came here quietly confident I could figure, because I had significantly enough rides to score enough points, but you need luck in running.”
Bowman remains in Hong Kong for the International Races meeting, where he has rides in all four events, including three for Moore.
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