By the time you read this article, I will be on a plane about to land in Paris, as tomorrow I will be attending Europe's most prestigious annual classic distance racing event – the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp racecourse.
This will be the first overseas simulcast race the Club has brought to Hong Kong racing fans this season, and based on the latest declarations, I would say that this Arc field is the most exciting in the past decade. Not only does the list include two undefeated three-year-olds from France – Zarkava and Vision D'etat – but also the race has attracted Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien's powerful duo Duke Of Marmalade and Soldier Of Fortune, Japanese raider Meisho Samson, and last year’s Arc runner-up Youmzain.
Personally, I would give my support to German-bred French runner Getaway, whose owner Baron G Von Ullmann and trainer Andre Fabre are good friends of mine and has already won this prestigious race a record seven times. I think it will be perfect if this five-year-old horse could land Andre his eighth Arc winner tomorrow.
Another Germany's top three-year-old, Kamsin, who declared a runner at the last minute, has also caught my eye. Kamsin, a soft ground specialist, has won his last three races at Gr.1 level at this 2400m trip and connections paid €100,000 to supplement him only when they were assured of enough cut in the ground on Sunday. Kamsin could spring a surprise.
German runner It's Gino is an outsider in the field and his trainer Pavel Vovcenko has already approached the Club, expressing his intention to run the horse in our Cathy Pacific Hong Kong International Races this year. So I hope It's Gino can produce a decent performance in the Arc and follow it up by contesting our flagship international event in December.
I think it's great that we can simulcast this top race from France to Hong Kong, giving you all the opportunity to offer your support on these classy horses. It's a pity, though, that the current regulations on simulcast race betting still greatly limit local racing fans' choices on other occasions. Some may wonder why the Club has chosen only to simulcast the Arc to Hong Kong, but not to consider the other race in the card like the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp which has a significant number of horses aimed to run in the Cathy Pacific Hong Kong Sprint, nor stick to its initial plan of simulcasting the Sprinters' Stakes from Japan.
I can tell you that we are bound by the rule which limit us to accepting bets on just 10 overseas simulcast races a season, and we are concerned that if we simulcast the race to Hong Kong for viewing but cannot accept bets, it will offer a good opportunity for the illegal bookmakers to take bets on the race instead. This is why the existing regulations finish up helping nobody apart from the illegal operators. It is out of context to suggest that any relaxation of the rules will nurture more gamblers, as I think the Club is making a legitimate response to the demand of dedicated racing fans, especially those who have been closely following the form of overseas horses in top overseas races. I really can't see it has any negative impact on the community in general.
While I'm in France, the Asian Racing Federation and International Federation of Horse Racing will be hosting meetings there before and after the Arc respectively. This will give me the chance to meet racing directors and executives of other jurisdictions and discuss topical issues like global racing development and competition from other sectors, as well as issues relating to wagering and commingling.
Although I shall be fairly preoccupied by such a tight and busy schedule, it's been a while since I last saw my father in Germany. So after I've finished my meetings in Paris on Tuesday, I will try my best to make a short stopover in Germany to visit my father and my kids before returning to Hong Kong on Wednesday night.
Anyway, apart from the Arc simulcast, I hope you will enjoy the 10 races we've scheduled at Sha Tin tomorrow. For the races at Sha Tin, I think Douglas will have a great day with Viento, King Fay Fay and Enthused. Viento is in good form having placed in his three starts at this course and distance. This time he has been given a good draw in Gate 3 again and let’s see if he will deliver an even better performance. King Fay Fay claimed a close second in his last run over the same trip and should be benefited from that race. In the Sha Tin Sprint Trophy, Enthused won impressively last time in the HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup and looks to be the one to beat. However, I am hopeful that Scintillation, one of my favourites horses in Hong Kong which we bought as a yearling for the HKIS, will give Enthused a run for the money.
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