Ortiz Takes on the World in Hong Kong

Irad Ortiz Jr. has been a star on the rise ever since his arrival on the American racing scene in the summer of 2011, just six months after riding his first career winner at Hiprodromo Camarero in Puerto Rico. Tonight, at the tight-turning and tricky Happy Valley Racecourse on Hong Kong Island, the 22-year-old will ride against?11 of the world’s best jockeys in the Longines International Jockeys’ Championship. 

It has been a breakthrough year for Ortiz Jr., who earned his first Breeders’ Cup success courtesy of Lady Eli (Divine Park) in the GI Juvenile Fillies Turf and currently ranks third among North American jockeys by number of winners through Dec. 9 (277 from 1393 rides, 20%) and by purse money ($19,622,511). Ortiz Jr. tied with Javier Castellano for leading rider honors at the Belmont Spring/Summer meeting, was runner-up at the always-competitive Saratoga stand and got the upper hand over Castellano at the Belmont Fall Championship meeting. Ortiz Jr., who is accompanied on this trip to Hong Kong by his grandfather–also named Irad–is very much looking forward to the challenge the IJC will present. 

“It is very exciting for me to be invited to such a contest,” he said Tuesday afternoon as the 12 participants gathered for a meet-the-press function at Happy Valley. “And I can’t thank the Jockey Club enough for allowing me to represent the USA. The turns [at Happy Valley] are very tight and I will have to arrange my stirrups to deal with the right-hand course. Anyway I have watched lots of videos to get accustomed to the track and I cannot wait for the challenge to begin.” 
The senior Ortiz suspects his grandson will adapt just fine. 

“Ever since he was a little boy he has been extremely gifted in the saddle,” he explained. “Me and his father were also jockeys, at El Comandante in Puerto Rico as well as in New York, and as soon as he started to ride, Irad showed something very special.” 

To be successful, Ortiz Jr. will have to be at his very best to defeat a group that includes two-time IJC winner and ‘world’s best jockey’ Ryan Moore and other previous IJC victors defending champion Kerrin McEvoy, local star Joao Moreira and Christophe Soumillon. The latter is expected to figure prominently in the outcome of the IJC after pulling two of the favorites from the four races that comprise the event. 

“I have not won in Hong Kong for a while and yet I always receive lots of support from the local fans so I am eager to please them,” said Soumillon, who will try to take Sunday’s G1 Hong Kong Cup with the globe-trotting Cirrus Des Aigles (Fr) (Even Top {Ire}) and exits a victory in the G1 Japan Cup aboard Epiphaneia (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S. {Jpn}) just 10 days ago. “I am drawn 12 of 12 in the first so that’s a long shot. I have got a chance in the second leg, a 1000-meter sprint, and I ride a horse for Casper Fownes in the last leg with a live chance. I am glad that I got such good rides overall and we will probably have a good time on Wednesday night.” 

Moreira is likely to be well-backed in the Championship, while England’s Richard Hughes and Japan’s Yuichi Fukunaga are reputed to have good chances as well. However, Hughes is taking nothing for granted. 

“You can never tell around Happy Valley, but I have got a couple of nice rides so we’ll see. I am looking forward to it,” Hughes commented. 

Points will be awarded on a 12-6-4 basis. The winning jockey will take home a first-prize check of HK$500,000 (about US$64,500). Post time for the first of the IJC races is 8:10 p.m. (7:10 a.m. EST). Click for the HKJC.com race form.