Happy Lucky Dragon Win | What we love about HKIR week - and International Jockeys' Championship relationship counselling

What a week we have coming up. Overseas visitors make it a 24-hour per day party cycle for many, but there's plenty to love about what goes on at the races. So we don't have Ambitious Dragon and California Memory to defend what has become "fortress Sha Tin" in recent years, but there's still plenty to love about "international week".

WHO NEEDS RELATIONSHIP COUNSELLING WHEN YOU HAVE THE IJC?

The International Jockeys’ Championship isn’t just a chance for leading riders to showcase their skills and test themselves against other world-class competitors. It can be a joyous occasion where cultural bridges are built and long forgotten or even seriously damaged relationships can be healed.

The random draw of nine international visitors and three locally based riders always bears many gifts in the way of odd couples thrown together, and this year is no exception. Not everyone gets along at Sha Tin, which is no surprise given a couple of dozen super competitive jockeys and trainers live in a handful of apartment buildings on course. So it's always great when two that aren't getting along are paired up.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall when jockeys and trainers meet before the four legs of the IJC! Here’s the best of the match-ups. Clearly the Jockey Club's random draw computer has a sense of humour.

Horse: Speedy Sandy
Jockey: Douglas Whyte
Trainer: Tony Millard