I'm sure you all have vivid memories of the massive earthquake that battered Sichuan two years ago this month, claiming more than 200,000 lives in this south-western province of the Mainland. Hong Kong citizens were deeply shocked by the severity of the disaster. We felt that the Club too, being Hong Kong’s largest charity contributor, should rally round and do whatever it could to help those living in the earthquake-stricken areas. Besides making an immediate donation of HK$30 million to the relief efforts, we thought that it will be equally important in restoring their normal lives at the earliest time. That’s why we later pledged a HK$1 billion donation towards suitable reconstruction projects in the devastated area.
I was delighted recently to receive a letter from a group of teachers and students at Deyang No.5 Middle School, one of the four initial reconstruction projects we have since committed to support. Their campus was demolished in the earthquake, but we are now helping them rebuild it at the same location, expanding and combining it with two other nearby schools at a total cost of 149 million yuan.
At the time I read this letter, honestly, I was very touched by one of their expressions: “Love is not only a feeling but also a steady promise. We will live better because of the sincerely love from you.” It reflects that these teachers and students truly appreciate the contribution and assistance given by the Club not only in helping them to overcome difficult times, but also in giving them a promising future.
They also updated us on the latest status of this project and I’m glad to learn that on completion, the new campus will have 90 classrooms, which will accommodate 4,500 students from within Deyang city as well as its adjacent towns and counties. The teachers believe that the modern new school will not only restore Deyang's previous education facilities, but raise them to an even higher level than before the earthquake.
It’s encouraging to see our contributions bringing new hopes to the younger generation and their families in Deyang, and I think it's especially important that we will be able to give special support to the many young students there who are now disabled. By giving them the chance to resume normal studies at school, we can help them reintegrate into society and rebuild their lives, so that they can have a better and brighter future after finishing their studies. So I hope to hear more good news from the students and teachers of this school in the future.
Back on the home front, the Club’s not-for-profit business model and its strong commitment to charity contributions has gained wide recognition from different sectors of the community. It is the positive values and images of our racing products that has attracted the staunch support of many prominent business corporations over the years.
We have been delighted recently to welcome two prestigious new commercial sponsors to our horse racing programme. In midweek, we announced a new partnership with Prince Jewellery and Watches, who will be title sponsor of the Group 3 Premier Cup for the next three years, starting with this season's event on Wednesday 16 June.
In addition, international banking group Standard Chartered, who have been very active in sponsoring local sports events like the Hong Kong Marathon in recent years, have become our new sponsors for the Group 1 Champions and Chater Cup at Sha Tin tomorrow. I understand that Standard Chartered have invited retired Irish champion jockey Mick Kinane to attend tomorrow's race as their special guest, which is great news for all of us who love horse racing, as he is a true legend in the sport. It will be Mick’s first visit to Hong Kong since he announced his retirement in November last year, and I hope some of you will get the chance to meet him.
Although there are just seven runners featuring in this final Group One event of the season, this 2400m race still includes the likes of three-time race winner Viva Pataca, 2008 champion Package Winner, reigning Derby champion Super Satin and runner-up Super Pistachio. That’s why I don't expect the race to be short of excitement.
In his victory in the Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup, Viva Pataca proves that age still has not taken toll on this eight-year-old. I think this top-earning racehorse in Hong Kong has the best chance to win this race. Super Satin also showed his class and credential in his last start in APQEII. This young upcoming star will be the other main challenger among this quality field. King Dancer is another interesting younger horse, but I’m not sure if 2400m is a little bit long for him.
In the Markapura Star Handicap, British import Jacobee performed impressively last time as he stormed home for third. It appears that he’s gradually acclimatised to Hong Kong’s environment and I look forward to seeing his performance in this mile event. Among other runners, his stablemate Soaring Dragon, who will be partnered by Brett Prebble this time, and Sean Woods-trained Champion Mount, who finished a close second over the same distance last time, are also capable to give Jacobee a test.
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