AUSTRALIAN Brett Prebble is confident he can defy the best jockeys from around the world in Wednesday night’s Cathay Pacific International Jockeys’ Championship after faring well in the allocation of rides at Sha Tin on Monday morning.

“It looks like I’ve drawn three serious winning chances and the barrier draw is OK for all of them,” Prebble said in reference to Classa, Nordic Star and The Untouchablelad – his mounts in the final three legs of the four-leg challenge.

“Nordic Star and The Untouchablelad were both big winners last start at Happy Valley and Classa ran very well there also. I think I’ve done very well in terms of the draw and this is a series I’d love to win,” said Prebble who is yet to win an IJC but was runner-up in 2000.

Last year’s CXIJC resulted in a triple dead-heat between Ryan Moore, Johnny Murtagh and Christophe Lemaire who were tied on 12 points apiece and the three men are back to chase outright victory in 2010.

Amazingly, Johnny Murtagh won last year on Master Dreamer and he is drawn to ride the same horse again in the third race on Wednesday night. He’ll be hoping that’s a good sign.

Three time IJC winner Douglas Whyte’s hopes may hinge on the Andreas Schutz-trained Ho Wongchoy who contests race seven and is shooting for four wins from as many starts this season.

“I couldn’t be happier to have Douglas on this horse,” said Schutz, “I really wanted one of the local jockeys for him and Douglas has won on the horse.”

Caspar Fownes was on hand to see the jockeys’ allocation and was pleased with both the riders and barriers drawn by his runners – Perfect Ten and Hold Hands.

“Perfect Ten is back from a tendon problem but I’m pleased with the way he is going and he did run second at this meeting last year. Hold Hands is racing consistently and both horses are capable of running well.

“I have (Olivier) Peslier on Hold Hands and we know how good he is while (Joao) Moreira rides Perfect Ten and everybody in Singapore tells me he’s a star,” Fownes said.

The 2010 CXIJC, which is composed of four legs - Races 3, 4, 6 and 7 - will start with the first leg at 8.10 pm on Wednesday night at Happy Valley.

Wednesday night's champion will be the rider accumulating most points. Twelve points are awarded for a win, 6 for finishing second and 4 for third to mirror the scoring for the Jockey Challenge bet.

The champion jockey will receive HK$200,000 and a trophy. HK$100,000 will go to the runner-up.

 

HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB MEDIA RELEASE