Jul 2007 |
The final race day of
the season always has a special, carnival atmosphere - and there was even
more good reason this year for racing fans to mark the occasion in style, as
it coincided with the celebrations of the 10th anniversary of the
establishment of the Hong Kong SAR. Not surprisingly, then, a huge turnout of more than 70,000 people
packed into Sha Tin Racecourse with another 6,000 going to Happy Valley for
cross- betting and nearly HK$1.16 billion being laid out in bets - figures
that lifted total season attendance to nearly 1.93 million, 2% up on the
previous year, and total racing turnover to HK$64 billion, a 6.6%
increase. Honours in the day feature
race, the HKSAR 10th Anniversary Cup, went to Egyptian Ra, ridden by
Eric Saint-Martin and trained by David Hall. |
Jun 2007 |
Who is faster - a
champion racehorse or a champion cyclist? The protagonists in this unprecedented battle were Viva
Pataca, winner of the Champions
and Chater Cup, and Hong Kong's favourite cycling hero (and
Club Sporting Ambassador) Wong Kam-po. As the differing track surfaces made a direct contest impossible, a
special 2,400-metre challenge was set up for Wong at a cycling track in
Shenzhen. And the winner? Well, despite Wong's valiant efforts,
the horse was a clear victor by some 19 seconds. . |
Jun 2007 |
More than 150 of the Club's community partners gathered at Sha Tin
Racecourse to mark the 3rd Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Day - an annual
event that highlights the successful partnership between the Club and
different sections of the community. The afternoon's feature race was The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Community Trophy, won by Yellow Diamond. |
Jun 2007 |
The Club's
horse Owners have donated more than HK$5 million of their winnings this season
to a special fund set up to support cultural, educational and community
activities relating to the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic equestrian
events. The 2008 Beijing Olympic
Equestrian Events Hong Kong Fund, chaired by former Secretary for Justice
Elsie Leung, aims to raise HK$40 million in total. |
Apr 2007 |
After Hong Kong's Vengeance
Of Rain had superbly won the Dubai Sheema Classic a month earlier and
Japan's Admire Moon had looked equally impressive in taking the Dubai
Duty Free, their appearance on the same declaration list for the Audemars
Piquet Queen Elizabeth II Cup suddenly took on a new level of
excitement. When the big day
dawned, a brilliant late burst by the jockey Mike Kinane aboard Viva
Pataca left the two Dubai champions with nothing to scrap for but second
and third places. |
Apr 2007 |
Viva Pataca's AP QE II Cup
win made it a memorable double for trainer John Moore and jockey Mick Kinane,
as just one race earlier they had also teamed up to take the day's other big
race, the Champions Mile, third leg of the Asian Mile Challenge. This time, their surprise winner was
32-1 outsider Able One who led from start to finish, setting his own
pace and waiting for a challenge that never came from the star-studded field
behind. |
Apr 2007 |
The Club continued its drive to export Hong Kong's
successful racing product by concluding a deal with Phumelela Gold
Enterprises to broadcast Hong Kong races live in South Africa, starting in
April 2007. With this new
addition, the Club's simulcast programme now covers eight countries and
regions on four continents: the USA, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Macau,
Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. |
Apr 2007 |
The Club's new Executive Director, Racing,
William A Nader, took up his duties on 23 April, stating his determination to
bring new vitality to Hong Kong's racing product and continue improving the
quality of its horse racing. Mr
Nader brings to the Club more than 20 years of racing management experience
in the United States. He has won numerous awards for his contributions to the
North American racing scene. |
Apr 2007 |
Taking
advantage of a strong pace, Gerald Mossˆm steered Joyful Winner home by
a length and a quarter to take the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup for the second
year in a row - despite the John Moore-trained horse having stayed winless in
all seven of his outings during the intervening 12 months. Second place in this final leg of the
Champion Sprint Series went to The Duke. |
Apr 2007 |
Horses made a
rare appearance on the infield of Happy Valley Racecourse over the Easter
holiday when the Club lent its support to an Equestrian Spring Carnival
staged by The Hong Kong Equestrian Federation to promote equestrian sports. This great family fun day for the
public included an equestrian sports exhibition, equestrian game booths,
photo-taking with the Club's Shetland ponies, a bouncy castle, a horse and
dog show, clowns, balloons, and an equestrian events demonstration. |
Mar 2007 |
In the most
enthralling Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby of recent years, Vital King nosed out odds-on favourite Floral Pegasus to present trainer Paul O'
Sullivan with his first major win since coming to Hong Kong in 2004. Ridden superbly by Brett Prebble, Vital
King came through in the final stride to prevail in a photo-finish that had
the large Sha Tin crowd transfixed. Champions Gallery finished third. |
Mar 2007 |
Renowned
Hong Kong cyclist Wong Kam-po was appointed Ambassador of the Mercedes-Benz
Hong Kong Derby 2007 as a further gesture to celebrate the 130th Anniversary
of this top domestic event. Wong's many notable successes in local and overseas cycling
competitions include a gold medal at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha and a track cycling world championship held in Spain
in March. |
Mar 2007 |
In the
Group 2 Chairman's Trophy run on the same day as the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong
Derby, the Andreas Schutz-trained gelding Good Ba Ba stormed home
under Olivier Doleuze to steal victory from hot favourite Armada. |
Mar 2007 |
Following this
inauguration of a 500-day "Olympics Countdown" clock in Kowloon
Park, Tsim Sha Tsui, the Club joined four other local organisations in
mounting a special, six-day exhibition at the same site to stimulate interest
in the 2008 Olympics and equestrian sports among local residents. The displays included models of the
competition venues being built by the Club at Sha Tin and Fanling to stage
the Olympic and Paralympic equestrian events. |
Mar 2007 |
The Club's Chief
Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges was elected one of three Vice
Chairmen of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) at
its Executive Council meeting on 27 March, reflecting Asia's growing
importance in world racing and Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges' contribution to the
development of international competition. His term of office runs until October 2009 and he also
retains his role as Co-Chairman of the IFHA's Grading and Race Planning
Advisory Committee. |
Mar 2007 |
The Club's
expertise in both equine healthcare management and the strategic use of IT
was recognised when its Veterinary Management Information System (VMIS)
received the prestigious 2007 CIO Award, one of only five projects in Asia to
do so. Developed in-house by the
Information Technology Division and Department of Veterinary Clinical
Services, VMIS is an all-in-one system that allows Club vets to retrieve horse health history such
as diagnostic X-ray images, ultrasound records and trackwork performances at any time
and any location within the Sha Tin Racecourse complex, through the use of tablet
computers and an extensive wireless network. It is believed to be the
first of its kind in the racing industry worldwide and the first in Hong
Kong's medical care sector for either humans or animals. |
Mar 2007 |
Vengeance Of Rain became Hong Kong's latest horse to attain
'superstar' status - exemplified by the launch of his own website - after
strengthening his international reputation with victory in the Dubai Sheema
Classic, the joint richest turf race in the world. Although the David Ferraris-trained stayer won the World
Racing Championship series in 2005, he did so without leaving Hong Kong,
leading some to question his true international credentials. In addition, he has twice suffered
career-threatening injuries. However, his Dubai victory with Anthony Delpech aboard silenced any
doubters on both counts as he left a top-class field in his wake including
the reigning English Derby winner - and in the process, lifted his career
earnings to more than HK$70 million, a new Hong Kong record. In Dubai World Cup on the same night,
Hong Kong Horse of the Year Bullish Luck finished a gallant third in
an equally star-studded field, despite this being his first-ever race on
dirt. |
Feb 2007 |
The first raceday of the Lunar New Year has
long been a favourite with Hong Kong's racing fans and this year was no
exception as more than 85,000 people converged on Sha Tin to celebrate the
new Year of the Pig with a feast of excitement and entertainment, both on and
off the track. The traditional
eye-dotting ceremony was led by Hong Kong SAR Chief Secretary for
Administration and Club Honorary Steward The Hon Rafael Hui Si-yan. On the track, Floral Pegasus landed his second major race in three weeks with an impressive win in the
Derby Trial to make him firm favourite for the upcoming Mercedes-Benz Hong
Kong Derby itself. |
Feb 2007 |
Hong Kong's growing
reputation as a major power in world racing was further enhanced with the
announcement that the Group 1 Champions Mile would become the first race
outside the United States to join the Breeders' Cup Challenge, a series of
official qualifying races for the Breeders Cup World Championships, North
America's premier international thoroughbred event featuring 11 races and a
total purse of US$23 million. The Club and Breeders' Cup Ltd also announced that for the first time,
Hong Kong racing fans would be able to wager on the 2007 Breeders' Cup races. In addition, a bonus of US$1 million
would be jointly put up for any horse winning both the NetJets Breeders' Cup
Mile (Grade 1) in New Jersey in late October and the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong
Mile at Sha Tin in early December. |
Feb 2007 |
The
glittering career of Silent Witness came to a close with an emotional
final run in the Centenary Sprint Cup, after trainer Tony Cruz and owner
Archie da Silva decided to retire Hong Kong's favourite horse. The gelding is now enjoying a
well-earned retirement at Living Legends, the international rest home for
champion horses in Melbourne, but not before making one further appearance on
the Sha Tin turf on 25 February when 27,000 fans turned out for a farewell
party. |
Feb 2007 |
The Champion Sprint
Series got under way for 2007 with the running of the Centenary Sprint Cup
and saw a triumphant return to the winners' arch for Scintillation,
coolly ridden by Eric Saint Martin to a three-quarter length
victory over favourite Absolute Champion. |
Jan 2007 |
The Club announced it would reintroduce the
Subscription Griffin scheme, giving Members access to quality horses at an
affordable set price of HK$1.2 million. Operated as a break-even activity, this well established concept
allows 20 permit holders to join a ballot for one of a limited number of
horses purchased to meet market sentiment. The scheme will supplement the Hong Kong International
Sale which in 2006 saw The Duke become the first sale graduate to win
an International Group One race. |
Jan 2007 |
The record-breaking dash by Absolute
Champion to blitz the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint by 4¼ lengths a month earlier earned him
recognition as the world's No.1 sprinter. Absolute Champion's rating of 121 put him one ahead
of Australia's Takeover Target, and put him in famous company as local
hero Silent Witness is a former holder of the top sprinter title. |
Jan 2007 |
Two of Hong Kong's
most important mile races were run on the same day at Sha Tin on 28 January,
further strengthening the growing reputations of Armada and Floral
Pegasus as the current leading challengers at this distance. In the Stewards Cup, first leg of the
2007 Triple Crown series, favourite Armada was steered home by Douglas
Whyte 1¼ lengths clear of Hello Pretty, erasing the memories of his
narrow defeat by The Duke a month earlier in the Cathay Pacific Hong
Kong Mile. In the Mercedes-Benz
Hong Kong Classic Mile, Floral Pegasus won by 1 3/4 lengths under
Gerald Mossˆm to stake his claim as Hong Kong's top four-year-old. |
Dec 2006 |
The 2,400 metre Cathay Pacific Hong Kong
Vase produced a real fairytale story as Britain's eight-year-old Collier
Hill, ridden by Dean McKeown, stole victory by a nose from Ireland's Kastoria. Collier Hill was bought as
cast-off for just GBP5,500 (HK$83,000 approx) and spent time in local hurdles
races before trainer Alan Swinbank transformed him into an international
champion, with more than HK$31 million in prize money now to his name.
Another fairy tale came true in the Cathay
Pacific Hong Kong Sprint when the David Hall-trained Absolute Champion,
who managed to be included in the field at the last minute, not only trounced
the rest of the top-class field but did so in a scorching 1 min 7.8 secs, a
new Sha Tin track record for 1,200 metres on turf. Jockey Brett Prebble brought the horse home an impressive
4¼ lengths clear of local hero Silent
Witness, a two-time former Sprint winner. This was the fifth year in row that the title has gone to
a home-trained horse.
Third in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile
in 2004 and second in 2005, The Duke finally made it to the Winner's
Arch under an excellent tactical ride from Olivier Doleuze. It was a close call, though, as the
Caspar Fownes-trained gelding prevailed only by a head from Armada,
who went out as the bettors' favourite on the strength of his impressive
showing in the Mile Trial three weeks earlier. Italian pacesetter Ramonti hung on for third
place.
Superb French mare Pride rounded off a fantastic career
with a highly emotional victory in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup, taking
her career winnings to some HK$30 million before being retired to stud. Trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre and
ridden by Christophe Lemaire, the six-year-old hung on by a short head from
Japan's Admire Moon, who produced a stunning late burst. Hong Kong's champion stayer Vengeance
Of Rain was a gallant third. |
Dec 2006 |
It was little surprise when the last
two-year-old son of the legendary Danehill to go on auction attracted
top interest at the Hong Kong International Sale, with Cheng Keung Fai's winning bid of HK$7.5 million
consigning the event's previous record to history. The aggregate sum of HK$81.2 million for all 28 lots on
offer also set a new high, while the average price showed a huge 63% jump
from 2005. |
Dec 2006 |
Inaugural winner of
the International Jockeys' Championship in 1998, four-time French champion
Olivier Peslier scored a thrilling victory in this traditional Happy Valley
curtain-raiser to the International Races, despite having no ride in the last
of the three qualifying races. Australia's Glen Boss and Germany's Andreas Suborics shared second place. |
Dec 2006 |
Racing fans were able to experience the
atmosphere of a white Christmas on Boxing Day at Sha Tin Racecourse, being
greeted by falling "snow" as they arrived on the concourse, which
had been turned into a "Snowy Dreamland" for the day. They were also able to visit an
Eskimo's igloo nearby, filled with a variety of specially-created ice
sculptures and send giant-sized Christmas greetings to their friends through
the Diamond Vision screen, one of the world's longest outdoor video screens
stretching more than 70 metres. |
Dec 2006 |
A first-up win by recent British import Champions
Gallery at the Boxing Day race meeting had more than the usual
significance, as it marked a highly successful track debut for the Club's Trainer Syndicate scheme,
introduced at the start of the season to widen the horse ownership base. Especially notable was the fact that it was Hong Kong's
newest licensed Trainer, Andreas Schutz, who took the honours with his
stable's five-man syndicate, collecting an added First Win Bonus of
HK$400,000, another new Club initiative to spur Owners into bringing
high-quality private purchase horses to Hong Kong. Ten Trainer Syndicates have so far been formed under the
new scheme. |
Nov 2006 |
With less than a month
to go before Hong Kong's major horse racing event of the year, the Cathay
Pacific Hong Kong International Races, some of the leading local challengers
had a last opportunity to demonstrate their credentials. In the Cathay Pacific International
Cup Trial, Hello Pretty certainly turned a few heads with a storming 2¾-length win under Brett Prebble,
leaving hot favourite Viva Pataca a distant third. In the Mile Trial, there were no such
surprises as the pairing of Armada and Douglas Whyte fulfilled their
favourite's tag with a classy win over hot pursuers The Duke and Floral
Pegasus. Perhaps the most
meritable performance of all, though, came in the Sprint Trial from the John
Moore-trained Able Prince, who claimed victory in his first run back
after injury after staving off a late surge from Down Town. |
Nov 2006 |
A farewell ceremony was
held for trainer David Oughton at Happy Valley Racecourse on 29 November,
following this long-serving and highly-respected horseman's decision to
return to the UK after some 20 years in Hong Kong. Oughton, who trained many well-known horses including Cape
Of Good Hope, inaugural winner of the Global Sprint Challenge in 2005,
said he felt lucky to have witnessed a period in which the Club established
itself as one of the leading racing jurisdictions in the world. Club Chairman John Chan presented him
with an inscribed silver-gilt dish. |
Oct 2006 |
Howard Cheng brought home 11/1 shot Flaming
Lamborgini with a late run to take the day's feature race, the National
Day Cup, giving this popular local jockey his third victory in the event
since 2003. In the process, he
lowered the 1400-metre track record by 0.6 seconds. |
Oct 2006 |
It was a day of glamour and high fashion
once again as the city's female racing fans turned out in force for Sa Sa
Ladies Purse Day - and there could hardly have been a more aptly-named winner
of the historic Ladies Purse feature race than Hello Pretty, ridden by
Brett Prebble and owned by sponsors Mr & Mrs Simon Kwok. A variety of elegant themed
merchandise was snapped up by racegoers with similar speed, on a day that was
also highlighted by a remarkable feat from Trainer Caspar Fownes, who claimed
all the first four horses past the post in the prestigious Sha Tin Trophy. |
Sep 2006 |
In good time for the new racing season, a
stunning new Owners Box was opened on the 3/F of Members Stand I at Happy
Valley Racecourse, merging the existing 3/F space with much of the 4/F to
create a spacious, double-height facility highlighted by a 50-metre-wide,
floor-to-ceiling glass wall that gives diners an uninterrupted view of the
racetrack. The restaurant can
cater for around 300 Owners and their guests on racedays and about 216 on non-racedays, with each table
featuring its own personal LCD screens to keep diners up-to-date with the
racing action. The remaining
part of the 4/F, meanwhile, has been turned into a mezzanine level with two
exquisitely decorated rooms catering for private parties and special
celebrations, plus a supporting kitchen. The opening of this new box completed the Club's
"Racing into the Future" project, aimed at upgrading the Owners'
and Members' facilities at Happy Valley Racecourse to truly world-class
levels. |
Sep 2006 |
A new initiative to enable more young
racing enthusiasts to share the excitement of horse ownership was announced
at the beginning of September. The Racing Club, which is expected to come into operation in 2007/08
season, is aimed at fostering and cultivating interest in racing and horse
ownership, especially among the younger segment. Racing Club members will have their own exclusive
facilities at the two racecourses and be able to experience the thrill of
being an owner through the Racing Club's ownership of horses. There will also be social programmes
to enrich the breadth and quality of these members' racing experience. |
Sep 2006 |
Almost 40,000 racing fans turned out to
welcome back Hong Kong's most popular sport as the new racing season got
under way on 10 September. In
traditional style, the celebrations began with an auspicious lion dance and
the ceremonial striking of a gong by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong
SAR, the Hon Donald Tsang. Encouragingly, attendance was up on the figure of 12 months earlier
and the average betting turnover per race matched the previous year's, when
there was a HK$25 million Triple Trio jackpot on offer. The distinction of taking the day's -
and the season's - first feature race went to Town of Fionn, who
produced an unstoppable finishing burst under Robbie Fradd to land the HKSAR
Chief Executive's Cup. In the
run-up to season opening day, a number of special activities were held to
herald in the new season, including a pre-season Owners' Carnival for Owners
and their family members and a Barrier Trial Party for the general public.
The events featured pony rides, game stalls and the annual Jockeys' Sprint,
won this time by popular Frenchman Olivier Doleuze. |
Aug 2006 |
The 2005/06 edition of the World
Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings was published in early August and included no
less than 11 Hong Kong-trained horses - a big jump from the four listed in
2004/05. Only Australia, with 15
ranked horses, scored higher. Hong Kong's entries were led by Vengeance Of Rain, ranked 5th
overall on 122-Intermediate for his brilliant performance in winning the
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup in December 2005. The middle-distance runner also emerged as the Top Ranked
Intermediate Horse on Turf. Following right behind in 6th place was Silent Witness (121-Sprint), who retained his title as the Top Ranked Sprinter on Turf on
the back of his dominant win in the Sprinters Stakes in Japan nine months
earlier. Bullish Luck (120-Mile) was one place further back in 7th after capturing two legs of the
Asian Mile Challenge in May and June. Other Hong Kong-trained horses to feature were Best Gift, Viva
Pataca, Danacourt, Russian Pearl, Cape Of Good Hope, Joyful Winner, Super Kid and The Duke. |
Jul 2006 |
A Recruitment Exhibition Day at Sha Tin Racecourse on 15 July
marked the start of a new Club drive to uncover potential racing stars of the
future and strengthen its reputation for world-class horse care. Young people aged 15 or above were
invited to attend pre-arranged interviews during the exhibition, or hand in
applications on the spot. The
event received an overwhelming response with over 1,300 interviews conducted,
from which 28 candidates were later selected
as riding or non-riding trainees to undertake a Foundation Course of up to
nine months at the Club's training centre in Beas River. The Course covers stable management, horse handling, work safety,
English, physical education, computer training and, where relevant, rider
training. Those who successfully complete the course and demonstrate good
conduct will be considered for posts as Trainee Apprentice Jockeys, Trainee
Work Riders, Apprentice Farriers or Stable Assistants. |
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