Horse racing news: Buick eyes International Jockeys’ Championship glory after year of Group 1 successes
William Buick will return to Hong Kong at the end of a year of consistent top-level success as he attempts to tick off another major ambition.
The Norwegian-born, British-based rider is set for another tilt at the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) on 10 December.
It will be the fifth time Buick has participated in the showdown at Happy Valley, but it has not been an event of great fortune for him so far, with a fifth-place finish in 2020 being his best return to date, while he was sixth behind Mickael Barzalona 12 months ago.
IJC invitation a ‘privilege’
“It’s always a privilege to be invited by The Hong Kong Jockey Club to the IJC and I’ve been lucky enough to participate a few times,” Buick said.
“I’ve never won it, or been on the podium yet, so it would be lovely to get a win in the competition. Obviously, the rides are luck of the draw, so you need a lot of luck. It’s very competitive and you need to be on the ball against a great line-up of jockeys.”
Given his record, Buick is the equal of any rider in the line-up, which includes the likes of James McDonald, Joao Moreira, Christophe Lemaire, Zac Purton and hopefully Ryan Moore, who is recovering from injury.
Buick has now been the retained jockey for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby for a decade, so his campaigns tend to begin with the World Cup Carnival in Dubai.
This time, he started with a bang by delivering Believing with a perfectly-timed challenge in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan.
Once back in Britain for the northern hemisphere spring, his run in Godolphin blue was highlighted by landing the first two Classics of the season, aboard Ruling Court in the G1 2000 Guineas to follow up his 2024 win on Notable Speech, and then he claimed the G1 1000 Guineas for the first time on Desert Flower.
He has further added the likes of the G1 Falmouth Stakes, G1 Haydock Sprint Cup, a first victory in the coveted G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot on the magnificent stayer Trawlerman as well as two of Britain’s 10-furlong showpieces, the G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and G1 Juddmonte International, aboard Ombudsman.
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A rewarding season
In terms of prize money in Britain, this season will rank as his most successful year, but the country’s two-time champion jockey does not dwell on past success.
Asked if 2025 would rank among his best years as a rider, Buick said: “I don’t tend to think about it that much. Obviously, I’m very pleased to have been riding some fantastic horses.
“Winning both Guineas at the very start was fantastic, and then carrying on through with Ombudsman and Trawlerman among others, then fast-forward to finishing off in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile on Notable Speech.
“So, it’s been a very rewarding season. Group 1s are the all-important and they’re what Godolphin are all about, so it’s always the main objective but we always look to improve, always look to move forward.”
Now 37, Buick has become a mature, statesmanlike figure in the weighing room who has perhaps never been riding better.
While there is little time to reflect in racing, he is quick to reiterate that he is not ungrateful for the laurels that have come his way.
“You have to acknowledge it has been a very good season for sure. Of course, I’m pleased, but in this game you move forward so quickly,” he said.
“I’ve been in Bahrain, then it’ll be Hong Kong, then I’ll be back in Dubai. That’s the nature of the sport, that’s what makes it so competitive. You don’t tend to dwell on things too long.
“Of course, you enjoy the moment, but equally when it doesn’t go your way, you have to shrug it off, get over it, learn from it and move on.”
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