Murphy on Giavellotto in action, pulling ahead of his competitiors.
It was a dramatic display of speed and stamina, with Romantic Warrior pulling ahead in the final moments to claim the title at the final moments of the Longines Hong Kong Cup.
Fans and race enthusiasts were captivated by a day of world-class horse racing at the Longines Hong Kong International Races, which concluded earlier this month with resounding success at the Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong.
As the Title Partner and Official Timekeeper of the event, Longines timed the Group 1 races that saw exhilarating performances which thrilled the crowd.
Giavellotto, ridden by Oisin Murphy, claimed victory in a breathtaking finish that raised the crowd to their feet for the Longines Hong Kong Vase.
Stunning wins by Ka Ying Rising and Voyage Bubble in the Longines Hong Kong Sprint and Longines Hong Kong Mile respectively were the other highlights of the day.
McDonald (second from left) being awarded 2024 Longines World’s Best Jockey.
Longines continued its dedication to excellence and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the horse racing communities.
Longines CEO Matthias Breschan rewarded the winning riders with elegant Longines timepieces for their exceptional feats on this special occasion.
The official watch of the event, a Longines chronograph model from the Conquest collection was also in the spotlight.
A blend of boldness, timelessness and sporty elegance, this model is driven by an exclusive Longines self-winding mechanical movement equipped with a silicon balance-spring and new components made of non-magnetic material.
Presented in a 42mm steel case water-resistant up to 10 bar (100m), this ultimate everyday watch features a snailed champagne sunray dial with rhodium-plated hands and comes with a stainless steel bracelet.
The model is also available with a choice of dial colours and matching rubber straps.
Longines World’s Best Jockey
Prior to this event, Australia-based New Zealand-born jockey James McDonald was honoured as the 2024 Longines World’s Best Jockey on Dec 6 at the Longines Hong Kong International Races gala dinner, in recognition of his exceptional achievement during the 2024 racing season.
He was presented with a Longines timepiece as well as a crystal vase by Breschan and Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, chairman of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA).
Having completed a remarkable 2024 racing season, the accolade marks another milestone in his impressive career in which McDonald won nine of the world’s Top 100 Group or Grade 1 races.
Murphy wins the Longines Hong Kong Vase.
His qualifying victories were from the Longines Hong Kong Cup (Romantic Warrior), Stewards’ Cup (Voyage Bubble), Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (Romantic Warrior), Ranvet Stakes (Via Sistina), FWD Queen Elizabeth II Cup (Romantic Warrior), Yasuda Kinen (Romantic Warrior), Ladbrokes Cox Plate (Via Sistina), Darley Champions Sprint (Sunshine in Paris) and TAB Champions Stakes (Via Sistina).
McDonald won this year’s award by a narrow margin of 10 points.
The scoring process rewards jockeys for finishing in the top three, giving McDonald a total of 160 points on the year.
Ryan Moore, who has won this award four times, was second with 150 points, while William Buick was third with 105 points.
The scoring incorporates races from Dec 1 of the previous year until Nov 30 of the current year.Jockeys accrue 12 points for a win, 6 points for placing second and 4 points for placing third.
The awarding of the Longines World’s Best Jockey title is based upon performances in the 100 highest-rated Group 1 and Grade 1 races as established for the year by the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings Committee.
The Longines World’s Best Jockey Award was established in 2014 by Swiss watch brand Longines and the IFHA to quantitatively recognise a jockey as the best among his or her global peers.
