Rachel King to make flying visit to Hong Kong for Longines International Jockeys’ Championship

Rachel King heads to Hong Kong to take on the world’s best jockeys fresh off her stunning win in the Zipping Classic last weekend.

Rachel King returns to Hong Kong for the Longines International Jockeys’ Championship on Wednesday night. Picture: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

Sydney jockey Rachel King will take on the world when she rides at the Longines International Jockeys’ Championship in Hong Kong on Wednesday night.

But it will be a hit-and-run mission for King who plans to return for the Sydney double-header later this week at Randwick’s Kensington meeting on Friday and Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

King, who won on Arapaho in the Group 2 Zipping Classic at Caulfield last Saturday, travelled to Hong Kong on Monday night to prepare for the prestigious jockeys challenge at Happy Valley.

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She is competing against the world’s best jockeys including James McDonald and Hugh Bowman, England’s Ryan Moore, Hong Kong’s reigning premier rider Zac Purton, William Buick (England), Colin Keane (Ireland), Mickael Barzalona (France), Yuga Kawada (Japan) and Hollie Doyle (England).

“I rode in the International Jockeys’ Championships last year, it was a great experience,’’ King said.

“I had a winner with my first ride and finished third overall.’’

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King, winner of five Group 1 races, has become something of an international trailblazer this year.

Her travels began back in January where she rode for eight weeks in Japan and became the first female jockey to ride a Group race winner in that country.

King then went to England where she got married in June and rode a second placegetter at Royal Ascot, before returning there in August where she rode a winner in the Shergar Cup series in early August.

Rachel King guides Arapaho to victory in the Zipping Classic last Saturday. Picture: Scott Barbour/Racing Photos via Getty Images

She then made history again by becoming the first Australian-based jockey to ride at the US Breeders’ Cup meeting at San Diego’s famous Del Mar racecourse.

King’s latest international foray to Hong Kong precedes another riding stint in Japan early in the New Year.

She has a three-month contract for Japan but will probably ride there until the end of February before returning for the Sydney autumn carnival then going back to Japan for a month later next year.

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“I feel like I have done a full lap of the world with the amount of travelling I’ve done this year,’’ King said.

“But I’m pretty used to rocking up at places I don’t know and just getting on with it. I enjoy riding in these different countries.’’

King isn’t staying for the Hong Kong International meeting at Sha Tin on Sunday as she intends to return to Sydney on Thursday.

“I’m going to ride on Friday and Rosehill on Saturday,’’ she said.

Despite King’s frequent forays interstate and overseas, she has still had a successful start to the Sydney season with major races wins on Iknowstar in the $1m Five Diamonds Prelude, and Group 3 wins on the ill-fated King Kirk (Breeders’ Plate) and McHale (Bill Ritchie Handicap).

Originally published as Rachel King to make flying visit to Hong Kong for Longines International Jockeys’ Championship