This week, we had the honour of hosting an historic three-day workshop at Happy Valley racecourse on a subject which regular blog readers will know I am passionate about, namely the international movement of competition horses, which of course includes racehorses.
The event was organised by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) in conjunction with our Club, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of the HKSAR Government. This was the first event of its kind ever held in Asia, and was aimed at the Asia, Far East and Oceania regions. I was involved in the workshop both as CEO of the Club, and also in my role as vice-chairman of the IFHA with special responsibility for international horse movement.
It is vital for the growth of horse racing and equestrian sport internationally that the movement of horses becomes smoother, without jeopardizing the health status of horses around the world. We want to enable the world’s best horses to participate in the world’s leading events; cross-border competition is, of course, good for the sport, but it also improves the breed, as increased global competition helps to identify the best horses, many of whom are then involved in the breeding cycle.
The workshop saw excellent discussions on a number of related subjects between delegates from no less than 27 countries. I was delighted to meet many regulators and veterinary experts for the first time, including representatives from the Government of India. I also had the opportunity to spend some time with Dr Bernard Vallat, Director General of the OIE and he was very grateful for the support and commitment of the Club in making this workshop a success. We both felt that significant progress was made in a number of areas as we continue the journey towards harmonising national health requirements for horse importation.
Dr Ko Wing Man, Secretary for Food and Health of the Hong Kong Government, spoke at the opening of the workshop and remarked that Hong Kong, being home to a good number of high performance horses, was privileged to have been chosen as the host for the event. He stressed the common goal of establishing a framework for countries and regions to harmonise the approach in facilitating the movement of sport horses under conditions that minimize the risk of disease transmission. Our strong working relationship with the Government is one of the keys to the success of the Club and it was a wonderful endorsement of the importance of this OIE workshop that Dr Ko accepted an invitation to address those present and demonstrated his clear understanding of the benefits and challenges that this issue presents.
Another international event in Hong Kong this weekend is the Longines Hong Kong Masters, a world class show-jumping competition featuring six classes over three days at the AsiaWorld Expo arena. Local spectators will have the opportunity to watch the dedication and professionalism of many of the world’s leading equestrian riders in the only current CSI 5* show-jumping event in Asia. I’m also delighted to see the Club-sponsored rider Kenneth Cheng again having the chance to participate in the Longines Hong Kong Masters and I wish him a successful weekend.
Talking about local stars, one of the most popular jockeys in Hong Kong’s history was in the news this week. In my previous blog I mentioned Silent Witness, and coincidentally it was announced in the last couple of days that Felix Coetzee, who rode Silent Witness in every one of his 29 races, has announced his retirement from riding. I’m sure all Hong Kong racing fans will join me in wishing him all the best for the future.
From stars of the past to stars of the present and there is no shortage of excitement in the horse racing this weekend, as we stage the Citibank Hong Kong Gold Cup at Sha Tin racecourse tomorrow. Although there is a small field of seven in this HKG1 event, it is full of quality as four of them are international G1 winners, including reigning Horse of the Year Military Attack, as well as Longines Hong Kong Cup and BMW Hong Kong Derby winner Akeed Mofeed.
Being part of our Triple Crown, this race is one of the highlights of our local racing programme. The race distance of 2000m is also the “classic distance” in Hong Kong. Even we have a field of only seven horses it remains to be a very competitive race. It is difficult to forecast the running order because many of these horses have raced on and off the pace in recent runs over a variety of distances, but there is no real pacesetter among them. Blazing Speed is the likely leader in a slow pace with Dan Excel and Same World behind. Both Akeed Mofeed and Military Attack are likely to settle closer in midfield, while Ashkiyr and Dominant are further behind. It is likely to become a sprint in the final furlong.
Akeed Mofeed is working very well and the same applies to Military Attack who is in my opinion a horse who finds his best form later in the season after the Hong Kong International Races. Blazing Speed is improving. After his win in the Stewards’ Cup he has a chance to win a HK$2 million bonus if he’s victorious here. With his overseas form being good at 2000m, he cannot be underestimated and is a win chance too. It will be a close fight between these three horses. With the slow pace it also gives Dan Excel a chance to cause an upset. In my opinion Military Attack will be the most likely winner in a close finish with Akeed Mofeed and Blazing Speed.
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