Doyle and King set their sights on making history at Happy Valley

The event pits 12 elite jockeys from across the globe against one another in four fiercely contested races. With a points-based scoring system rewarding placings from first to third, the competition is as much about strategy as it is about skill. The prize? A trophy, the title of IJC champion, and a share of HK$800,000.

For England’s Hollie Doyle, this marks her fifth consecutive IJC appearance. Familiar with the intense atmosphere of the competition, Doyle has come close before, finishing joint second in 2021. This year, she is determined to take the top spot.

“The HKJC picks jockeys from the best around the world that they know will be competitive and serious in their attempt to win the trophy,” Doyle said.

Doyle’s rise to prominence began in Herefordshire, where she started riding ponies. Her early experiences in stables across the UK and the United States shaped her into one of the sport’s top competitors. In September 2024, she celebrated her 1,000th career win, an elite milestone few achieve.

A familiar face at Flemington in November, Doyle rode Sea King to 14th place in the 2024 Lexus Melbourne Cup. Now, she’s focused on adding an IJC trophy to her impressive résumé.

Oxford-born Rachel King’s journey has been less conventional. After struggling to make her mark in England, a move to Sydney transformed her career. Now firmly established as one of Australia’s leading jockeys, King is making her IJC debut.

“You’re representing your country, which means there’s more pressure,” King said. “But it’s pressure that I enjoy.”

King’s breakthrough came with her first Group 1 victory in the Spring Champion Stakes, propelling her to further success, including five Group 1 wins. Among them was last year’s Coolmore Stud Stakes aboard Ozzmosis for trainer Bjorn Baker at Flemington and in doing so became the first female jockey to win the historic Group 1 race at Flemington. In the 2024 Lexus Melbourne Cup, she guided The Map to a 21st-place finish.

Both Doyle and King recognise that victory at the IJC depends not only on their skill but also on the luck of the draw, as horse allocations are determined by a computerised system to ensure fairness.

With their eyes firmly set on making history, the duo stands ready to inspire a new generation of riders. If either succeeds, they will etch their names in the history books of racing as the first female jockey to claim the LONGINES IJC, breaking new ground for women in the sport.