Ahead of Sunday’s Season Opening, I attended the Club’s Pre-season Carnival at Sha Tin Racecourse last Saturday. Apart from many Owners, Members and racing fans who were trackside throughout the day, I also met with many trainers and jockeys too, as well as watching the first turf barrier trials of the season. Most of them are seemingly well prepared and equipped for the season ahead.
I also took the opportunity to talk with several trainers who now have dual-site operations at Sha Tin and Conghua, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. It has now been almost six weeks since the first horses moved up to Conghua Training Centre (CTC) and these trainers reported that their gallopers based at the site have been showing good signs, enjoying the relaxing environment and maintaining a good appetite. A couple of the handlers also said that their horses were looking terrific in their coat, appearing shiny and healthy, while some also mentioned that minor issues like hoof problems have improved since they have been stabled at CTC.
It was pleasing to hear such positive comments from some of our top horsemen. Indeed, I had similar observations when visiting Conghua last Tuesday. I was pleased to see how well the horses now stabled at CTC had settled in and, like the trainers, I noted in particular how good their coats looked. The Conghua Assistant Trainers told me that horses who had been having difficulties in finishing their feed in Hong Kong were transformed up at Conghua. I am looking forward to these horses producing their best when they return to Sha Tin and I anticipate further development of the Conghua site in the near future.
So we’ve almost completed our final preparations and CTC will be officially opened tomorrow. It’ll be a very exciting and historic moment for the Club and I can’t wait to welcome all guests and officials from relevant Mainland and HKSAR authorities, horsemen, Owners and Members, as well as the media, tomorrow!
Another great moment from the week just gone that I want to note happened in Indonesia. Hong Kong’s proud equine heritage came to the fore when Jacqueline Siu claimed Hong Kong’s first equestrian gold medal at an Asian Games in the individual dressage competition. This was also Hong Kong’s first gold medal at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta. The equestrian team, sponsored by the Club, has brought pride and honour to the city, and this again showed the Club’s systematic support in the development of equestrian sports throughout the years. With the opening of the Conghua Training Centre, we are happy to share with our friends in the Mainland our experience in developing equestrian sports in Hong Kong.
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