Australia’s Craig WiIliams and Brazilian champion Joe Moreira will join a star-studded list of international riders in the 2015 World All-Star Jockeys series at Sapporo racecourse in Japan this weekend.

Hong Kong-based star Moreira will be making his first appearance in the two-day series on Saturday and Sunday ahead of the start of the new Hong Kong racing season on September 6.

America’s Russell Baze, Thierry Jarnet (France) and Hayley Turner (UK) will also compete from overseas.

“I’m really looking forward to it. I enjoy these jockey competitions a lot because, they’re always challenging,” said Moreira, who is aiming to become the third Hong Kong-based representative to capture the title following Douglas Whyte (2004 - tied with Andreas Suborics) and Zac Purton (2012).

Formerly known as the World Super Jockeys Series, the JRA has this year moved the competition from its usual November/December berth to August.

The international jockeys’ competition comprises four races, all on turf, to be contested over two days at Sapporo.

Moreira will partner Jun Fight Kun in Saturday’s first leg, a 2600m event, and his mount in the second leg later that afternoon, a contest over 2000m, is Jungle Cruise. The rider’s two mounts on Sunday are Bravissimo in the third leg, a 1200m sprint, and Quetzalcoatl in the final leg, which will be staged over 1800m.

“All of us will most likely be riding horses that we’ve never touched before and then it’s down to some luck and who has the skills to get the best out of each horse they ride,” Moreira said.

“Luck and skill both play a big part but I’ll make the most of it, in that I’ll try to use my experience. Those guys I’m riding against will ride differently to how I ride.”

“Some of them are among the very best in the world so, as a professional rider, you love to be riding against them.”

Moreira will compete against seven JRA jockeys, two other Japanese representatives from the regional National Association of Racing and four other top overseas jockeys for the individual winner’s prize of 3 million yen and a trophy.

The JRA has, for the first time, added a team component to the format, in which the five visiting jockeys and two NAR jockeys will join forces and challenge the JRA jockeys’ team.

Moreira has already won international jockey challenges in Hong Kong, South Africa and Perth in Australia.

2015 World All-Star Jockeys Challenge

Mirco Demuro Japan

Keita Tosaki Japan

Masayoshi Ebina Japan

Yuichi Fukunaga Japan

Yutaka Take Japan

Yasunari Iwata Japan

Yuichi Shibayama Japan

Koji Fujita Japan (NAR)

Yuji Iwahashi Japan (NAR)

Joao Moreira Hong Kong

Russell Baze USA

Thierry Jarnet France

Hayley Turner UK

Craig Williams Australia