Zac Purton and Matthew Chadwick will join Douglas Whyte as Hong Kong's representatives in the 2012 LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship on Wednesday 5 December, when 12 top class jockeys from eight racing jurisdictions, including some of the world's most talented young riders, will come together at Happy Valley to battle for the title.

The list of this year’s ten invited jockeys for the LONGINES IJC was released on 15 November.  The last two places are traditionally filled by Hong Kong's current leading jockey (other than the reigning Hong Kong champion, Douglas Whyte, who is already included) and leading local jockey as at 22 November.

Purton is currently the joint leading jockey in the Hong Kong’s premiership with 21 wins as of today, while Chadwick is the leading local jockey with 16 victories.  This pair have therefore been allocated the two remaining places.  In accordance with the prospectus for the LONGINES IJC races, Chadwick's normal 2-pound weight allowance will not be applicable in the four legs of this event.

The full list of 12 jockeys who will participate in the 15th LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship is as follows:-

Profiles for LONGINES IJC jockeys - Zac Purton and Matthew Chadwick

Zac Purton (Hong Kong, age 29)

Zac Purton is in his sixth full term in HK and in that time he has been a perpetually rising force, doing it the hard way as a freelance without the backing of a major stable. After finishing runner-up in the HK jockeys’ title race last season with 64 wins, this campaign has seen him get off to a flier to lead the championship until 20 November. Raised in northern New South Wales, Purton won the Brisbane jockeys' premiership as an apprentice in 2003, and seeking a fresh challenge, later moved to Sydney where he came second only to perennial champion, Darren Beadman. His first G1 win came on Excites in the 2006 Produce Stakes at Randwick and his initial major HK win was in the HKG1 Stewards’ Cup on Fellowship in 2010. Last year the jockey reached new heights aboard Little Bridge, winning the G1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot. His total tally of HK winners stands at 258 (as of 22 November). Purton is making his LONGINES IJC debut.

Matthew Chadwick (Hong Kong, age 22)

A product of the HKJC Apprentice Jockeys’ School, Matthew Chadwick enjoyed notable overseas success this summer, winning the Silver Saddle as leading rider in the Shergar Cup and helping the Rest of the World team to victory in Ascot’s famous challenge. Champion apprentice in Hong Kong in 2008/09, he has already ridden more than 190 winners in Hong Kong, including 44 last term. Still very much the wunderkind of HK racing, he clinched his first Group win on Egyptian Ra in the HKG3 National Day Cup in October 2009.  He has struck up a notable partnership with California Memory – after riding the grey to victory in the HKG1 Citibank Hong Kong Gold Cup in February 2011, he guided the Tony Cruz-trained star to a famous win in last year’s G1 Hong Kong Cup, making him the first home-grown talent to win one of the G1 Hong Kong International Races. Chadwick has contested the LONGINES IJC twice previously.

HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB MEDIA RELEASE