Hong Kong Jockey Club and LONGINES extend partnership

07/12/2016

The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Swiss watch brand LONGINES announced an extension of their partnership at a signing ceremony on Wednesday (7 December), continuing LONGINES’ sponsorship of the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races and LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship, as Title Partner and Official Timekeeper.

“The Hong Kong Jockey Club and LONGINES have a proud heritage and share many of the same values, striving for excellence in all that we do and being committed to delivering world-class performance,” said Mr. Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Club’s Chief Executive Officer. “Over the last five years, with the tremendous support of LONGINES, Hong Kong International Races week has achieved new heights. With this track record of success, we are delighted that LONGINES will continue as a sponsor of the LONGINES International Jockeys' Championship and the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races for another term.”

“We are delighted to celebrate the renewal of our partnership with the Hong Kong Jockey Club and would like to thank them for their collaboration in transforming these events into tremendous successes year after year,” said Mr. Juan-Carlos Capelli, Vice President of LONGINES and Head of International Marketing. “Being associated with such a remarkable institution, which is not only a reference in terms of horseracing events, but also Hong Kong's premier charity and community benefactor, is a great pride for LONGINES. We look forward to the 2016 Longines Hong Kong International Races and to the many editions to come.”

This year’s edition of the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races will be held on Sunday, 11 December, with more than 80,000 expected to attend on course and vision of the races available to millions of households worldwide. 

First staged in 1988 as the Hong Kong Invitation Cup, the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races is now held annually on the second Sunday in December. The event comprises four championship races at Sha Tin Racecourse – the HK$25 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup, the HK$23 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile, the HK$18.5 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint and the HK$16.5 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase. All four races are ranked amongst the World’s Top 100 Group 1 Races. The Hong Kong Cup, Hong Kong Mile and Hong Kong Sprint are each the richest races in the world on turf at their respective distances.

The LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship gathers some of the world’s best jockeys to compete in a four-race series with HK$800,000 in prize money distributed to the top three points-earners, and is the world’s most lucrative jockey challenge.