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Leading jockeys Hugh Bowman and Noel Callow will launch a two-pronged attack for Australia at the 2012 International Jockeys’ Weekend (IJW) in Mauritius on 1 and 2 December.
The two hoops make up two-thirds of the Southern Hemisphere Team, one of four teams which will contest the annual series that has been wrapping up the racing season in the Indian Ocean island since 1984, bar the hiatus years between 1987 and 1995 and 2000. This year’s Mauritius champion jockey, South Africa’s Johnny Geroudis completes the trio for the Southern Hemisphere team.
The double-header series has over the years become a popular fixture for top jockeys hailing predominantly from France, England and South Africa as it slots in nicely as the perfect tropical getaway in between the Japan Cup and the Hong Kong International races.
While other participating countries like Australia, Italy or India are clearly outnumbered, they have regularly been featured in the line-up along with other minorities like Brazil, Macau and Singapore.
But it is not just the swaying palms and the beach parties that make Mauritius and the IJW such a paradise for these jockeys.Though Mauritius may not sit in the top echelon of horse racing nations in terms of thoroughbred quality, racetrack (tight Champ de Mars is only 1,300m long), Group racing or prizemoney, its appeal as an ultra-competitive racing arena has year in year out drawn in A-listers such as Pat Eddery, Yves St-Martin, Brent Thomson, Frankie Dettori, Christophe Soumillon, Kieren Fallon, Olivier Doleuze, Ryan Moore and the list goes on.
Bar 2006, Australians have been present at all 19 previous editions of IJW, which used to be split into a senior (Top Jockeys) and junior (Young Stars) category, but has since last year adopted a geographical grouping formula with a gold-studded whip prize up for grabs for the individual topscorer as well.
Chris Munce (2002) and Callow (2007) are the only two Australians to have added their names to the roll of honour. Last year, Corey Brown’s two wins went a long way towards his Rest Of The World team (also featuring William Buick and Imran Chisty) clinching the title as a group.
Others who have tried and won at least one race include Brent Thomson, Kevin Moses, Darren Gauci, Damien Oliver (four times invited), Jimmy Cassidy, Scott Seamer, Shane Dye and Corey Brown while other guests include the likes of Wayne Harris, Kerrin McEvoy, Brett Prebble, Craig Newitt, Rod Quinn and Michael Rodd.
This year’s Aussie duo earned the gig under contrasting circumstances. While the Mauritius Turf Club (MTC) went wooing Bowman, interestingly the only jockey in the line-up not to have ridden in Mauritius, presumably by virtue of his lofty status in the Sydney riding ranks, Callow is a last-minute replacement to the suspended Jeff Lloyd (was meant to represent part South Africa, part Australia), but will probably be the jockey along with the hugely popular Rai Joorawon to draw the loudest cheers among the racing-mad Mauritian public.
Among the visitors, three-time winner Soumillon will again be the biggest drawcard, but two-time winner Stephane Pasquier has also built a solid fan base, as well as Arc-winning jockey Olivier Peslier. Mauritius was a former French colony before it fell under the British Empire, making it a bilingual country, but the multi-ethnic population tends to be more French-biased in its culture, language and general allegiance.
The list of jockeys and teams are as follows:
Team France – Stephane Pasquier (captain), Olivier Peslier, Maxime Guyon.
Southern Hemisphere Team – Johnny Geroudis (captain, SA), Noel Callow (AUS), Hugh Bowman (AUS).
Mauritius Bicentenary Team – Rai Joorawon (captain), Karis Teetan, Nooresh Juglall.
Rest of the World Team – Christophe Soumillon (captain, BEL), William Buick (UK), Mickael Barzalona (FRA).
With one race slated for local riders and another one for lady amateur rides of the Fegentri League from the two-day race meetings featuring eight races each, the riders will compete in a total of 14 races.
Two jockeys per team will ride in each race and points will be allocated as follows: Win: 9 points, 2nd: 4 points, 3rd: 2 points, 4th: 1 point. Should there be a tie, the winner will be decided on a countback for seconds.
Horses will be drawn on 28 November during a ceremony held at the same platform as the Equidor Night, which is the Oscar Night of the Mauritian horse-racing industry.
