This year our apprentice jockeys have achieved some remarkable results in local racing. It's very encouraging to see how much they've improved their riding skills and techniques over a short period of time. Though, on a few occasions, they've also hit the racing headlines for the wrong reasons. The performances of these young lads have sometimes been inconsistent and their race judgments not mature enough. I think they need to work on these issues and be more alert in the future.
Recently there were two apprentices who have aroused some negative comments for their conversations about their rides prior to the raceday. Some racing fans and media are of the view that the Club has been too lenient to the duo. In fact, I can understand their views as such kind of chatting was inappropriate. Jockeys will always talk to each other, but when the pre-race chatting comes to how particular horses will run in certain races, it will arouse a great concern and negative perception among the racing public. In my opinion, that is not just limited to apprentices as all riders should be prudent and not do so.
One should not forget that apprentices, especially 10-pound claimers, are still learning the trade and will make honest mistakes. On the other hand, apprentices must remember they are still on the learning curve. Even if they perform well in some races, they should not get carried away, but to always remind themselves the importance of making wise judgments before and during races.
It's just one year since our champion apprentice Matthew Chadwick made his riding debut in Hong Kong in December 2008. Up to this moment, he has already ridden 67 winners, three short of the mark of 70 which he can move on to get a freelance jockey licence. He will likely become the quickest apprentice jockey to achieve this landmark in local racing history.
I think many of you will agree with me that Matthew is a very talented rider. He has maintained his strong competitiveness and sound performances even when his claiming allowance was reduced to seven pounds and then to five. Whether he can complete the needed treble tomorrow - as some people have speculated - or takes a few more meetings to reach the target, I hope Matt, and the other apprentices, can keep their heads down and continue to work diligently for their future careers.
Since the Club has adopted a more professional and comprehensive apprentice jockey training programme five years ago, the general performances of our apprentices have been improved. They are able to get more riding opportunities and quality rides, particularly over the past season. As a result, these young riders now have more rides and they probably have more chance to make mistakes in races. I hope they can learn from mistakes and improve. Also, we understand that it could be a concern if there are too many apprentices taking part in races. That's why in the coming season, we plan to review the number of apprentices, and see what we can do to strike a balance among all types of riders.
A continued revival in racing turnover beckons as another New Year wish for me. So far, we have seen some positive indicators as turnover has risen by a few percentage points over the first four months of the season. But we shouldn't forget that a fair proportion of this growth has come from customers who made larger bets, and whom we offer a 10 per cent rebate to stay competitive against the illegal bookmakers. For this reason, the growth in our gross margin has been more moderate than the growth in turnover. Nevertheless, it's a positive trend and I hope the momentum can be maintained as we move into 2010.
2010 is a World Cup year which will certainly spark the interest of football fans worldwide when the competition takes place in South Africa in June and July. Despite the positive aspects, we at the Club view it as a considerable challenge, as illegal and offshore bookmakers will perceive this major tournament as a great opportunity to attract and expand their customer base, as happened in 2002 and 2006. We will be preparing ourselves well to fend off this challenge.
Tomorrow is our first raceday in 2010, and we have arranged an 11-race programme for you at Sha Tin. Over the past year some racing fans and media have expressed reservations about too many 11-race meetings, so we've taken quite a cautious approach in preparing this season's race plan. Tomorrow will in fact be the first time we've run 11 local races at one meeting this term. With a view to giving our Trainers and Owners more options for their horses, we will have two more 11-race programmes in February, but beyond that no decisions have yet been made. We will give further thought to this in due course, having regards to logistical needs.
I've made some analysis of tomorrow's race card and I will be especially looking out for the performance of Elegance Desire in the Ma On Shan Handicap. This young horse showed promising credential with his impressive win in his second start in Hong Kong last time. He will be competing in a 1400m race again tomorrow. With the expected fast pace, even this horse is placed behind midfield, he should have a good chance to win again. However, he will also face strong opposition from other up-and-coming runners like Cat Storm, Enriched and Legend Express.
In the Group 3 event of the day – the Chinese Club Challenge Cup, I look forward to seeing the performance of Egyptian Ra. This veteran miler made a satisfactory performance in his previous start as he finished fourth in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile. As there are not many frontrunners in the field this time, I expect the good to slow pace will help his chance and he will be the main contender in this event. Among his opponents, Joy and Fun made his career-best performance last time – finished third in the Hong Kong Mile; along with other resurging forces like Armada and Sunny King, all these three horses have the capabilities to contest for the top honours.
I hope you all enjoy our races tomorrow, and I wish you a happy and prosperous 2010!
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