There on Wednesday we hosted our night race meeting at Happy Valley, while an important football match was also held at Hong Kong Stadium the same night, drawing a huge crowd. However, the traffic condition was not as bad as expected. That evening after attending a function, I went home to get changed for the race meeting. The traffic on my way back to racecourse ran quite smoothly, and I understand there were no significant traffic jams in Causeway Bay and the surrounding area that night, either before or after these two major sporting events.
I want to thank the authorities for their efforts and traffic arrangements, which demonstrated that it's possible for two big sporting events to be held on the same night in this area with no serious traffic problems.
At Sha Tin tomorrow our raceday will also bring together two different sports, as we shall be hosting the Mission Hills Sha Tin Trophy race day. The Mission Hills Group became one of our racing sponsors last year and I'm delighted to see how this event has since established an example for collaboration between sports, in this case the two very popular sports of racing and golf.
Though I hardly ever play golf myself, I think it's a very healthy recreational activity. At one time it used to be considered a sport only for the rich elite, especially in Hong Kong where golf club membership was very expensive and exclusive, but in recent years it has become a more popular and affordable sport for the public at large.
The main catalyst for this was the opening of the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course at Sai Kung, which was built with a HK$500 million Club donation. It was the first public golf course in Hong Kong and is still the only one today. While golfers can play a round of golf there for a very reasonable price, the course also provides basic golf training for children and adults, and a number of Hong Kong's emerging young golf talents have cut their teeth there.
Another sport to which the Club has given extensive support in recent years is equestrian riding, which again used to be rather an exclusive pastime but is now widely accessible to everyone through our three public riding schools. I think this is a good illustration of the many different ways in which sport of horse racing can contribute to the well-being of the community.
Over the past few years, we've committed special resources to supporting Hong Kong's Equestrian Team, which are currently in Shandong for the 11th National Games and will be competing there against top Mainland riders in the team jumping and individual events, tomorrow and next Tuesday respectively. I chatted with equestrian team member Samantha Lam at the Sasa Ladies' Purse Day a fortnight ago, and she told me that she was confident about competing in the National Games, and felt the team had a good chance of winning a medal. I look forward to hearing some good news from the team in the next few days.
Let's put our focus back from Shandong to Hong Kong, as some 31 of our 50 top-rated local runners will participate in the race meeting at Sha Tin tomorrow, particularly in two Group 3 events – the Mission Hills Sha Tin Trophy, and the Premier Cup. In the Mission Hills Sha Tin Trophy, star runners like Good Ba Ba, Viva Pataca, Thumbs Up, and Collection will all be making their first-up appearance of the season, and I think it will be a terrific race.
Personally, I expect the race to be run in a slow pace, and I think the top horses which position behind midfield and get a run will get some nice results. I will be focusing on Fellowship and Mr Medici the most as both of them made a run already and performed nicely. They will be the leading contenders of the race. However, I wouldn't be too surprised if classy runners like Thumbs Up, Collection and Viva Pataca deliver some good performances in their season debut.
In another Group 3 race of the day – the Premier Bowl, I think it's equally exciting and I'm interested to see the performance of Medic Power. It's great to see this prolific sprinter, who had a heart irregularity record in 2007, regained his form with a win late last season. Having performed nicely in the Chief Executive's Cup last month, this six-furlong specialist will again be competing in the same distance, and I hope he can go one step further in this Group 3 event tomorrow. For other runners, I think two-time Group One winner Inspiration, and improving horses like One World and Tuscan Spirit, are also capable to contest for the honour.
This afternoon we will also be simulcasting the Cox Plate from Moonee Valley Racecourse to you all. Last season's champion three-year-old Whobegotyou, who was remained unbeaten in his four starts at Moonee Valley, and Heart Of Dreams, runner-up to Whobegotyou in the Yalumba Stakes a fortnight ago, are the runners with best chance in this top weight-for-age championship in Australia. Both Road To Rock and Rock Kingdom recorded their first Group One win in their penultimate starts. I hope to see if these two outsiders can spring a surprise in this event.
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