Our first race meeting of the season was held at Sha Tin Racecourse last Saturday and it proved to be a sensational start. Hong Kong SAR Chief Secretary for Administration Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor made history as the first woman to strike the traditional ceremonial gong to mark the beginning of the 2012/13 season; and that notable event occurred in the midst of a day of fantastic sporting action.
And enjoying the occasion, we had more than 63,500 people in attendance at our two racecourses – the highest season opening attendance figure in 20 years. Turnover-wise we also reported a total figure of HK$929 million, which was 2 percent higher than the same meeting last year and the best season opening amount since 2000.
It’s always important to make a good start to the season, and I’m delighted with the great support given by our racing fans. During the day I took some time to visit our new racecourse facilities at Sha Tin and met quite a number of racegoers who were enjoying the new surroundings. They gave some encouraging feedback and were in general really appreciative of these new settings, which is heartening given the thought that has gone into them and the significant investments we have made on our Racecourse Master Plan.
While we enjoyed a good day on the business front, equally as important, Saturday saw some exciting results on the track and represented a great start to the season for two new horsemen. New Club Jockey Richard Fourie first rode a close second aboard Cerise Cherry in our feature race the HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup, before later enjoying his first Hong Kong winner with the Derek Cruz-trained Well Fit. I know some of you suggested Richard’s performance had a shadow of fellow South African Felix Coetzee about it, being rather similar when compared to Felix’s early days in Hong Kong. It’s certainly a great compliment for Richard given the great success achieved here by Felix. Hopefully he will enjoy a successful riding stint here this season. I was also pleased to see a good start for our apprentice Dicky Lui who put up some fearless and promising performances in notching a second and third from his three rides on the day.
After Saturday’s season opener, our horses and jockeys will lock horns with each other in our season’s first meeting at Happy Valley tonight. Like Sha Tin, we also conducted a host of renovation work and upgrades to racecourse facilities at Happy Valley, with the Beer Garden extension being the one we believe that will most benefit the public.
In recent seasons, the Beer Garden has developed into a popular racing entertainment venue at Happy Valley Racecourse. We saw the average number of visitors at the Beer Garden rise to more than 2,000 at each race meeting last term, with the proportion of female customers increasingly noticeably. In an effort to further strengthen the attractiveness of the Beer Garden, and riding on the resounding success of the Happy Wednesday customer exercise, we have extended that particular zone during the summer to incorporate a refurbished betting hall. This makes it more comfortable and convenient for our visitors, as well as being more appealing and user-friendly for our female customers. With more upgraded facilities also available for our young Members and Racing Club Members, I hope you will all come and visit the Valley to explore and experience the attractions in person.
I would advise those of you attending the Beer Garden not to miss the chance to get the Buy-one-get-one free Beer offer after the commencement ceremony of the 1O1O Million Challenge tonight. Racegoers can also take part in a Prize Quiz and they have the chance to win attractive prizes such as free mobile handsets, restaurant vouchers or HKJC cash coupons. So make sure you and your friends arrive early at the racecourse.
The first Wednesday meeting of the season starts with a very attractive Triple Trio Jackpot of HK$22 million. As at the beginning of the season, horse fitness could well be the key to find the race winners. In the Stanley Handicap, which is the first leg of the Triple Trio, finding the winner in this Class 5 1650m event is not an easy task. The expected good pace gives every horse a fair chance with no strong pacesetter in the race, but six of the runners like to go forward. Real Dragon has to work from his Gate 12 but is likely to get the lead together with All The Winners. Real Dragon is a place chance for me and my favourite for this race is Potential which should be well placed in midfield and has the benefit of a race on Saturday with a closing 7th when he caught three-wide during the race.
In the Shek O Handicap, it is run as a Class 4 over 1650m and is a very open race, too. With the expected good pace, all horses should have a fair chance and Pegasus Supreme should be able to lead with Compact Yarn, Ho Wongchoy and Super Brand. Pegasus Supreme should have a place chance as has Ho Wongchoy, but my pick of the race is Top Dragon who finished a very close second in the same distance in his final start last season. In the last leg of the Triple Trio, the Deep Water Bay Handicap, the pace in this Class 3 1650m event is expected to be good, too. Despite the tricky gate, Mega Champion from the Tony Cruz yard and The Untouchablelad from Peter Ho stable, have both had good chances for me in this race.
Comment
