There was a certain air of inevitability about Ryan Moore's victory in the Longines International Jockeys' Championship Dec. 10 at Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong.
Not only had Moore won the event twice and earned a placing four other times, but he targeted the event in his return from a broken leg that had laid him up for some three months. Then he drew a horse named Triumphant More in the last race of the Championship.
When his participation was announced, with caveats, a month out from the event, it seemed reasonable to think Moore might give it a pass, reckoning 2025 a done deal. But after a successful comeback on the British all-weather, it was all systems go.
"Everyone wants to ride here, and why wouldn't you want to be part of it?" Moore mused in the leadup to the four-race program, a prelude to the Longines Hong Kong International Races Dec. 24 at Sha Tin Racecourse.
The first race of the Jockey Championship was a bust as Moore's longshot mount raced last and beat only a few tired rivals to the finish. But he more than made up for that in the second leg.
Riding confirmed front-runner Corleone, Moore took the front and masterfully judged pace and the stamina of his 5-year-old gelding to hold on to win by a short head, with much of the field closing in on him.
The third race was another loss with his mount never in contention and the final leg loomed with four jockeys tied at the top of the leaderboard and Moore again drawn on a long shot—prophetically named Triumphant More. When that one stormed home first by a comfortable margin to seal the championship, the usually stoic Moore nearly cracked a smile.
"I'm very fortunate to have been coming back here for so many years and it's a long time since I last won it," said Moore, who scored back-to-back in 2009 and 2010.
"It's fortunate I had two very good rides today and it worked out nicely for me. I'm just thankful to be coming back here and I had the luck tonight."
The victory came at the expense of many of the world's best. Among the rivals were one-time Hong Kong rivals Zac Purton and Joao Moreira; recently named Longines World's Best Jockey James McDonald; last year's winner, Mickael Barzalona; and stalwarts Christophe Lemaire, William Buick, Hollie Doyle, Rachel King, Umberto Rispoli, Hugh Bowman, and Vincent Ho.
Moore has three mounts on Sunday's program at Sha Tin. He rides Los Angeles in the Hong Kong Vase (G1) and The Lion In Winter in the Hong Kong Mile (G1), both for trainer Aidan O'Brien, and Satono Reve in the Hong Kong Sprint (G1) for trainer Noriyuki Hori, with whom he's had success in the past.
