The atmosphere in the days leading up to the start of a new season is always characterised by a powerful sense of anticipation and this week has been no exception ahead of the first meeting of the 2023/24 season at Sha Tin on Sunday (10 September).
The arrival of two new jockeys – Andrea Artzeni and Keagan De Melo – and two new trainers – Mark Newnham and Cody Mo – has injected fresh excitement, while the established band of world-class Hong Kong horsemen has returned strongly motivated to succeed.
The reappearance of Hong Kong’s reigning champion jockey Zac Purton and master trainer John Size was accompanied this week by those who might challenge the pair for title honours this season – Vincent Ho, Hugh Bowman, Karis Teetan and Lyle Hewitson and Frankie Lor, Tony Cruz, Ricky Yiu and Casper Fownes, among others.
Collectively, Hong Kong’s racing stars have exuded a strong feeling of positivity and optimism at track work this week after taking the opportunity to rejuvenate during the off-season and so, after a seven-week break, Hong Kong’s legendary racing competition will resume.
The arrival last Friday of Typhoon Saola disrupted preparations for the season opening meeting and significantly impacted the training schedules of horses. Following the moderation of the weather following the typhoon’s departure, our property and racing teams did a very good job to bring training facilities back into action as soon as possible to enable horses to be prepared.
Minutes after the Typhoon 8 signal was lowered on Saturday, those horses who were aimed to participate in the trials on Monday and for the races on 10 September were able to have some limited exercise.
This would not have been possible without the sterling efforts of Club’s stables and tracks team, management and staff, trainers, stable employees and the associated unions. After discussions involving senior management, all trainers and assistant trainers were contacted and given the opportunity to exercise their horses on the horse walker or in the trotting ring.
After all the stables were inspected, the Facilities Management team worked quickly to clear fallen trees and debris which were blocking the main roads or horse passages inside the stable compound, while the trotting rings and sand yard were prepared for use. Medical teams were also made available to support the training operations.
The feedback from trainers was very complimentary and I am proud of the efforts of the Club team in delivering a fantastic outcome in challenging circumstances for Hong Kong racing.
Romantic Warrior had to go into pre-export quarantine last Saturday due to biosecurity measures when he was due to have a trial but was able afterwards to train totally separated from our local horse population. On Tuesday night, our team facilitated a grass gallop at 8pm to make sure he could prepare for his challenging trip to Australia.
Entries for the first of this campaign’s 88 meetings, which features the Class 1 HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup (1200m), are headed by last season’s Hong Kong Champion Sprinter and three-time Group 1 winner Lucky Sweynesse, who will have to concede 20 pounds to all his rivals under handicap conditions.
Victor The Winner will again have a significant weight advantage in his clash with Lucky Sweynesse and it will be fascinating to gauge how much headway Danny Shum’s young sprinter has made since last term.
Among many other potential runners of interest on Sunday is Chris So-trained Super Sunny Sing, who won the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) last season to crown a four-race winning streak. The gelding is one of several quality horses we hope can build further on strong four-year-old seasons.
One of the traditions ahead of the season-opening meeting involves the staging of bai-sun ceremonies at the various Sha Tin stables and it has been wonderful to witness these wonderful events with owners, trainers and stable staff.
With a record HK$1.73 billion prize money on offer this season, the Club continues to strive to reward our owners who are the foundation of Hong Kong racing with their continued substantial investments in sourcing top quality horses from around the world.
The prize money enhancements are spread across every level of competition, from Griffins to Group 1s, while PP (Privately Purchased horses) Bonuses for both Class 2 and Class 3 horses will rise 50% from HK$1 million to HK$1.5 million this season.
Our determination to provide returns on investment to owners extends to Class 5 contests, where prize money has risen by HK$65,000 to HK$875,000 per race, while our focus on attracting the best available horses to Hong Kong’s coveted international races is steadfast.
The four Group 1 features at LONGINES Hong Kong International Races on 10 December will be worth a total of HK$118 million as the glittering showpiece continues to host the world’s richest Group 1 turf races over 1200m, 1600m and 2000m.
The G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) – the jurisdiction’s most lucrative race – has received a 5.9% increase to HK$36 million, the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) has been boosted by 8.3% to HK$26 million, the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) has grown by 6.7% to HK$32 million and the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) has advanced 9.1% to HK$24 million.
In April, FWD Champions Day’s Group 1 features will carry a record HK$72 million with the HK$22 million Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m), HK$22 million FWD Champions Mile (1600m) and the HK$28 million QEII Cup (2000m) all worth more than last season.
With more than 830 races to be staged between this weekend and mid-July 2024, Hong Kong’s racing enthusiasts are set for a feast of top-line competition and entertainment and I am certain our four newcomers – Andrea, Keagan, Mark and Cody – as well as our established champions will further augment Hong Kong’s racing brand.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish all participants and customers the very best of luck as we prepare for what shapes as another wonderful season.
HKJC CEO, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges
