French star Mickael Barzalona defied his rank outsider status to upstage 11 of the world’s best riders and win Wednesday night’s Longines International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) at Happy Valley.

Rated a $30 shot in fixed-odds betting at the start of the four-race series, Barzalona made a flying start when guiding Sergeant Pepper to an upset win at $38.4 in the first leg.

After banking valuable points with a close second on Forever Glorious in the second leg, the 33-year-old bounced back from an unplaced effort on $2.8 favourite Super Unicorn to boot home Aurora Lady in the fourth and final leg.

Barzalona collected the HK$600,000 winner’s cheque after finishing on 30 points – with 12 awarded to first, six awarded to second and four for third placegetters.

James McDonald and Hollie Doyle were equal second on 12 after winning on Prince Alex and Soleil Fighter, respectively. Doyle was runner-up for the second time after also splitting second prize money with Barzalona, McDonald and Tom Marquand in 2021.

“It’s a most difficult track, it’s never easy but I got pretty good rides today and every race went pretty well today,” Barzalona said after claiming his first IJC title on his sixth attempt, with his previous best result equal second in 2021.

“This night is always something special. It’s always a competitive challenge. I’m proud to be invited and just the atmosphere is so different here.”

Five riders had winning hopes heading into the final leg, but Barzalona sealed victory with Pierre Ng Pang-chi’s Aurora Lady soaring to an emphatic triumph.

Despite being trapped three wide without cover on top of the speed from gate 12, the Star Witness gelding sprinted powerfully early in the straight to easily account for Kyrus Dragon by a length and three-quarters.

“I think I would have been more confident with a better draw,” Barzalona said.

“He jumped very fast and I couldn’t get in, but I sat three wide, gave him his chance and he gave enough until the end.

“[Ng] actually said to me if there was no pace, you can go [forward]. The last two runs he thought had been pretty disappointing, but he will go well.”

France’s champion jockey in 2021, Barzalona started his career under the guidance of the nation’s leading trainer, Andre Fabre, and has been Godolphin’s retained rider in France since 2012.

However, he will leave that coveted position in January to take up a new challenge as first jockey for the Aga Khan.

“I’m very thankful to Andre Fabre and Godolphin to give me an opportunity at such a young age,” Barzalona said.

“I think now is a new chapter in my career, a new challenge and I look forward to that.”

Barzalona will take his final Group One ride for Godolphin on the Fabre-trained Marquisat in Sunday’s Group One Hong Kong Vase (2,400m), as he bids for his first success at Sha Tin’s marquee meeting.

The four-year-old has won three of his eight starts and comes off a last-start fifth in the Group One Grosser Preis von Bayern (2,400m) in Germany – the same race Fabre’s Junko ran in before winning last year’s Vase.

“He’s a very good horse,” Barzalona said. “I think the last run, he didn’t show his best. He finished very close to Junko in Chantilly and we know Junko won the Vase last year. Hopefully he shows his best on Sunday.”