Two women with a deep passion for riding and racing, nurtured in the English countryside, are set to make their mark in the highly anticipated International Jockeys’ Championship at Happy Valley on Wednesday. Hollie Doyle, 28, who achieved a significant milestone by riding her 1,000th career winner at Goodwood in September 2024, and Rachel King, 34, born in Oxford but now an Aussie after 11 years of riding in Sydney, are both determined to register the first female win in this prestigious series.

Honor and Intense Atmosphere

Doyle expressed her honor at being selected for the HKJC (Hong Kong Jockey Club) competition. She emphasized that the club picks jockeys from around the world who are known to be competitive and serious about winning the trophy, creating an intense atmosphere. "We all get along well as we know each other from traveling the world, but everyone is there for one thing - to win. This is the atmosphere at that level when competing for a large amount of money. It's intense, and that's how I like it," she said.In 2020, Doyle became the first female to win a leg of the IJC and finished joint third overall. The following year, she improved to finish joint second. This is her fifth consecutive year of being selected. "I keep praying I will be asked back. It's a great competition, and I hope I can get my name on that trophy one day. It would mean a lot," she added.Doyle's family background is deeply rooted in horse racing. Her father was a jumps jockey, and her mother regularly rode in Arabian horse races. Growing up around horses, she was a member of a Herefordshire pony club and rode her first pony race at age 9. Pony racing served as a popular training ground for her future career. After leaving school, she took a job at a stable in Wales and then started riding trackwork at Santa Anita at age 16.Rachel King has many similarities with Doyle. Her father raced point-to-pointers, a form of jump racing that often serves as a stepping stone for future National Hunt stars. She also hunted with the Old Berks, one of the oldest hunts in Britain. Initially, she rode over jumps as an amateur with limited success under dual-purpose trainer Alan King and dabbled in flat racing. Later, she reverted to the amateur ranks and joined Clive Cox as a racing secretary, with occasional rides in amateur flat races.However, the turning point in her career came when she went to Sydney. She first worked for the Bart and James Cummings partnership and then joined Gai Waterhouse as a stablehand for 12 months. This led to the re-booting of her riding career, which was highly successful as she won the Sydney champion apprentices title in 2016-17."My big break as a jockey came when I won the Spring Champion Stakes on Maid Of Heaven for Mark Newnham (Randwick, October 2018). It was my first Group 1, a real milestone," King said. She has since gone on to win another four Group 1s, including the six-furlong Coolmore Stud Stakes (G1) at Flemington last year.The parallels between the two continue. In early November this year, both women rode at the Breeders’ Cup in Del Mar and then flew to ride in the Melbourne Cup (G1) at Flemington only days later. Unfortunately, they didn't achieve success in either event. In the Melbourne Cup, Doyle came in 14th aboard Sea King, and King finished 21st on The Map.The day after the Cup, Doyle flew to Japan to join her husband Tom Marquand, where their riding contracts have been extended to Jan. 13. King returned to her base in Sydney but also has a stint lined up in Japan starting in the New Year.It seems that the two women have a mutual admiration for each other. Doyle said of King, "I remember years ago riding against Rachel in an Arab race in England when I was a young kid. It's amazing what she has achieved in Australia. We see each other occasionally on the international circuit, and we get along well."King said of Doyle, "Hollie is great, a lovely girl. I admire everything she's done. I couldn't do what she's done in England. I tried but couldn't break through. She's done an incredible job for all female jockeys over there. She paved the way for them."Now, it all depends on the horses they are allocated in the IJC. It's a matter of luck, although these days a computerized formula is used to evenly distribute the more attractive mounts. Either of them would be a worthy winner, adding another historic chapter to this great tournament.The final word goes to Rachel King. "I don't know what it is about the sport, but wherever I've gone in the world, I've got along with the other girls. The girls are very close. Even with the traveling, I enjoy these meetings. They bring a different aspect. It makes you just that little bit more competitive. You are representing your country, which means there's more pressure. But it's pressure that I enjoy."Coverage of the entire Hong Kong Thoroughbred season at Horse Racing Nation is made possible through a sponsorship by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.