Tom Marquand and Hollie Doyle finish joint runners-up in jockeys' challenge

Top Hong Kong jockey Zac Purton retained his crown in the Longines International Jockeys' Championship at Happy Valley on Wednesday despite not winning any of the four races, beating Hollie Doyle and Tom Marquand, who finished joint-runners-up.

Purton earned 22 points having finished second in three of the races to take the HK$500,000 (£48,460) top prize, with Doyle and Marquand part of a four-way dead-heat for second on 12 points alongside James McDonald and Mickael Barzalona.

Marquand struck immediately in the first leg over 5f on the 5-2 favourite Awesome Treasure for trainer David Hayes, before Doyle immediately hit back in the second leg over a mile with a shock success on outsider Viva Hunter.

The couple were out of luck in their remaining rides, which allowed Purton to establish a commanding ten-point lead to become the first jockey to win the International Jockeys' Championship three times, having landed the prize in 2017 and last year.

Tom Marquand gives the thumbs up after partnering Awesome Treasure to victory in the opening leg

Speaking after his winner, Marquand said: "It's deja vu as my first foreign forays were down in Australia for David when I had just under a year of riding. He didn't have much choice to stick with me today, but it was the perfect opportunity.

"The Hong Kong Jockey Club moved heaven and earth to get us here last year and once again they had to do so. This ranks extremely highly in my career to ride against the world's best jockeys on one of the biggest stages – it's pretty hard to top."

Happy Valley Wednesday results and replays

Doyle, who still claims bragging rights over Marquand having ridden a winner when joint-third in last year's event, added: "It was just as good as last year, if not better. It was great to have some crowd here to lift the atmosphere a bit.

"It was very special and a huge honour for Tom and I to have been asked back."

Fellow British jockey Ryan Moore finished in sixth on eight points, having been placed in the second and fourth legs.

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