Jockey Club stages Hong Kong Reunification Raceday

01/07/2015

The Hong Kong Jockey Club staged its annual Hong Kong Reunification Raceday at Sha Tin Racecourse today (1 July) to commemorate the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the 18th year.

The Hong Kong Reunification Cup, one of two trophy races, was run as Race 8. The Hon John Tsang Chun-wah, Financial Secretary of the HKSARG, attended the race together with Mr Yang Jian, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, and Mr Song Ru’an, Deputy Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the HKSAR.

Featuring a variety of on-course programmes, this thematic raceday attracted a total attendance of over 23,000.  In addition to the racing sport and excitement, racegoers enjoyed the festivities at the face-painting booths with the HKSAR’s floral emblem, the bauhinia, and other horse-themed patterns. The specially-designed tattoo stickers and instant snapshot taking were also very popular among racegoers. 

Hong Kong horse racing has gone from strength to strength over the years, enabling the city to establish a strong position in the world racing arena. It allows the Club, through its unique not-for-profit business model, to continue channeling Hong Kong people’s gaming demand into huge community benefits, with the ultimate goal of improving local people’s quality of life. In the last racing season alone the Club contributed a remarkable HK$19.58 billion to the public purse in betting duties and taxes. Looking ahead, the Club remains committed to giving back to society, as it has been throughout the past 130 years. In the words of the Club’s anniversary theme, the Club will always be “Riding High Together for a Better Future” with the people of Hong Kong.

The other feature race was the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup.  Run for the second year, this trophy race showcased the long-standing exchanges between Guangdong Province and Hong Kong on many fronts, particularly in the area of sports.

The Hong Kong Reunification Cup was won by the Caspar Fownes-trained Gun Pit, ridden by Zac Purton, while the David Hall-trained Solar Hei Hei with jockey Brett Prebble took the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup. 

The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class horse racing operator and Hong Kong’s largest community benefactor, as well as one of Asia’s most prestigious membership clubs. Operating as a not-for-profit organisation, the Club allocates its surplus funds for charitable and community projects. In 2013/14, its donations reached a record $3.6 billion, and in the last decade alone it supported over 1,275 projects. The Club is also Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer, contributing a record HK$19.58 billion in 2013/14. With about 70% of its revenue given back to society every year through donations and tax contributions, The Hong Kong Jockey Club delivers a significantly higher return to the community than any other racing and/or sports betting organisation in the world. As a socially responsible organisation, the Club helps Government combat illegal betting and advocates responsible gambling. The Club is also one of Hong Kong’s largest employers with over 24,800 full-time and part-time staff. Committed to global excellence and giving back to society, the Club is always “riding high together for a better future” with the people of Hong Kong. Please visit 130.hkjc.com.