Prize money for the 2016/17 Hong Kong racing season will extend to yet another record level while two of the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s three spring Group 1 features, the Champions Mile and Chairman’s Sprint Prize, will also be increased in the coming term. Hong Kong’s racing season starts on Saturday, 3 September and extends to 88 total meetings, up from 83 meetings conducted in each of the last seven seasons.
“The average prize money per race in Hong Kong is the highest in the world and these increases maintain our position as a world leader in the sport,” said Mr. Anthony Kelly, Executive Director, Racing Business and Operations. “We are fully aware of the significant costs associated with importing high-quality horses to Hong Kong, and a boost to prize money is geared towards incentivising our Owners to continue to buy quality bloodstock while recovering the costs of their involvement in the sport.”
The total amount of prize money paid for the 2016/17 season, not yet including the five additional race meetings, will reach HK$1.1 billion. Complete details of the adjustments to the prize money per class is set out in the chart below.
|
Class
|
2015/16 value (HK$)
|
2016/17 value (HK$)
|
Increase (HK$)
|
% Increase
|
|
1
|
2,400,000
|
2,500,000
|
100,000
|
4.2%
|
|
2
|
1,650,000
|
1,750,000
|
100,000
|
6.1%
|
|
3
|
1,165,000
|
1,235,000
|
70,000
|
6.0%
|
|
4
|
800,000
|
840,000
|
40,000
|
5.0%
|
|
5
|
600,000
|
630,000
|
30,000
|
5.0%
|
The 2017 Champions Mile will carry a purse of HK$16 million, a HK$2 million rise from this year’s renewal won by Maurice, who became only the second overseas challenger to win in the race’s 16-year history. The Chairman’s Sprint Prize, elevated to International G1 status for its 2016 running when won by the world’s top-rated sprinter, Australia-based Chautauqua, will receive a prize money increase to HK$14 million, up from HK$10 million.
“Hong Kong offers racing fans and horsemen a remarkable fortnight each spring, and the 2016 runnings of the Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup, Champions Mile and Chairman’s Sprint Prize were exceptional. The purse increases in both the Champions Mile and Chairman’s Sprint Prize are reflective of the quality and stature of these races,” said Mr. Kelly. “We are confident these boosts will help maintain the attractiveness of the races and the continued visits of leading horses from overseas to take on Hong Kong’s finest runners. These increases also cement the two races in the top five prize money races in the world at their distances on turf.”
Both races are scheduled to be run on Sunday, 7 May 2017. The Club already hosts the world’s richest turf races at 1200, 1600 and 2000 metres in the form of the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint, Mile and Cup.
In the 2016/17 season, all of Hong Kong’s International Group races will be open for overseas entrants following Hong Kong’s promotion to Part I of the “Blue Book” by the International Race Planning Advisory Committee. Prize money for Group 2 contests remains at HK$4 million with Group 3 races offered at HK$3 million.
The only pattern races not open to overseas runners are those in the 4YO Classic Series (Hong Kong Classic Mile, Hong Kong Classic Cup, BMW Hong Kong Derby), which are limited to Hong Kong domiciled horses.
The Club’s world leading prize money is supplemented by a number of bonus schemes available to connections. The Club will continue with the High Achievement Bonus scheme and the International Sale Griffin Bonus. In addition, the HK$10 million bonus for the Triple Crown (Stewards’ Cup, Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup, Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup), HK$5 million bonus for the Hong Kong Speed Series (Centenary Sprint Cup, Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup and Chairman’s Sprint Prize) and the HK$1 million in total prize money for the Happy Valley Million Challenge all return in the new season.
