The concept of green living has been increasingly popular in Hong Kong in recent years. More people have now become willingly proactive in trying to live in an environmentally responsible way. Such a lifestyle helps better ensure the sustainability of our environment, subsequently benefitting future generations. The Club is also a keen supporter of such concepts as we have long committed to promote green culture both inside and outside the Club. Apart from adopting green measures within the Club, the Club’s Charities Trust have been supporting a number of environmental projects, as well as working together with different community groups and community partners to initiate projects, with the aim of enhancing public awareness about protecting our environment, encouraging more people to act greener and live greener.
Yesterday I attended a ceremony in Tai Po for the launching of the Waste Reduction at Source School Programme. It was pleasing to meet Tai Po District Council chairman Cheung Hok-ming and the SAR’s Secretary for Education Eddie Ng at the event, as their presence showed their staunch support for this pioneering project. There are also more than 200 kids attending the kick-off ceremony and I have had some great time with them all when attending this meaningful event.
What makes this Club-sponsored green programme so special is that it is the first school-based environmental project on this theme ever introduced in local kindergartens and primary schools. It also serves as a successful example of cross-sector collaboration and co-operation, as school principals and teachers from the New Territories School Heads Association, along with professionals from the Greeners Action, together mapped up the design and planning of the waste reduction programme. We have also invited the designer of Chocolate Rain to create the lively teaching kit and mascot for the programme, while 120 volunteers from the Club’s CARE Team will use the training kits and deliver talks at participating schools during their assembly time. I believe it is a win-win approach, and it will be wonderful if we can achieve such a collaborative approach in planning and executing other projects with our community partners.
I also feel encouraged to learn that over 90 schools in the New Territories, representing more than 12,000 students, have already registered for this waste reduction programme at its launch. We hope this three-year programme will not only change the waste reduction-related behavior of those participating schools and students, but also have an exponential effect, reaching their families and friends. We hope in the latter stage we can further expand the programme to other schools on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, building up a greater momentum and disseminating such green concepts to more people in the local community.
Moving on to racing, when our top horses contest major events abroad, they also act as ambassadors in promoting Hong Kong racing, showing overseas racing fans the standards and quality of our racehorses and races in Hong Kong. Dan Excel achieved this when he won the Singapore Airlines International Cup back in May. And I believe most of you will know by now that this horse has suffered a setback in Australia where he was being prepared for a three-race campaign, culminating in the Cox Plate. The John Moore-trained horse developed an elevated temperature earlier this week, forcing the withdrawal from his first-up race, the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes this Sunday. Despite this, I was pleased to hear reports suggesting that it was not serious and that that the horse will resume light work, possibly as soon as today. I hope Dan Excel’s preparation for future big races will be back on track soon and I will closely follow news about him from Australia.
I will also be paying attention to the latest news from the US, as another of our top horses, the Michael Chang-trained Rich Tapestry, departed for California last night. The horse will become the first Hong Kong horse to race in the US for more than 20 years, and it will contest the G1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Saturday week as a step-up race for his main target, the G1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint on 2 November. I wish Michael a smooth preparation with the horse before these big assignments.
But before all that, let’s first enjoy our racing action at Sha Tin this afternoon. Among the 10 races on the card, I think the Chek Lap Kok Handicap is one of the best dirt races in recent memory to cap off our Saturday race day. This Class 2 event at 1200 metres is loaded with specialists over the all-weather surface. The field of 12 has collectively won an impressive 25 percent of its races on the all weather and the up and coming Master Kochanwong is the latest to establish his credentials with eye-catching wins in his final two races of last season. He moves up to Class 2 and will be a pace presence in a race that should be run at a good tempo. Access Years, a versatile sprinter that handles both turf and dirt, will roll forward from his good draw and the race will be on early. Both horses have worked well for their return and are set for big efforts.
Smart Man is another runner that has shown a fondness for the all weather and is a win and place chance. He had a terrific trial before finishing unplaced in his first-up run two weeks ago and should be better suited here with his big closing kick. Lord Sinclair, rated 103, is well known for his ability on the surface but he needs to rediscover his 2013 form and his work suggests that improvement is expected. Great Spirit has drawn widest and will go back as is his custom. He is a place chance based on his consistency and ability to finish his races over the track and distance. Hypersonic is a five-time winner in 10 races over the surface but he has not raced in over five months and this looks like a tough assignment.
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