Racing has produced all types of headlines since I came to Hong Kong more than 20 years ago but this last week has been a very unusual one indeed.
Special measures restricting attendance to owners, officials and those with prior restaurant bookings meant that fewer than 10,000 people were at Sha Tin for Chinese New Year and around half that number were at Happy Valley to see another impressive performance from Amazing Star on Wednesday.
To see our two great racecourses so quiet at what is normally such a busy and happy time of year is sad and strange but novel coronavirus has been affecting Hong Kong for more than a month and has now been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organisation.
Minimising health risks to all valued customers and staff remains our priority and the plans we have put in place are clearly necessary if racing is to continue its role as one of Hong Kong’s most popular entertainment mediums.
As I have said before, we are in an evolving situation that has to be reviewed daily and current measures to help racing fans engage with the sport may well have to be retained and refined over a lengthy period.
Some sports inevitably suffer at times such as this. The Hong Kong leg of the Longines Masters showjumping series is one of the latest high-profile events to be cancelled but racing presents a very different case study.
Our sport can still service most of its core local and international audience via television even if racecourse crowds are restricted and all the steps we take to ensure racing continues are after full consultation with relevant experts. That will continue as we move forward.
Safety always takes precedence and, as we assess our next phase of action, we have decided to significantly reduce the number of employees having to work at their normal workplaces, while having business-critical teams on site to maintain core operations.
At this time it is also important that we reduce traffic in Off-Course Betting Branches (OCBB). With that in mind, Mark 6 draws will be suspended after the draw on 1 February. With Mark 6 suspended, OCBB will open only on 1 February (Saturday), 5 February (Wednesday), and 7 February (Friday) from 9am to 5pm in the upcoming week.
Telebet service will be available on 1 and 2 February and on 5, 8 and 9 February to provide services for racing and weekend football matches. Digital wagering services will continue to be available on all days for football and racing customers. These betting channels will be reviewed on a weekly basis.
The Azalea Handicap is run as last race and is the most interesting race of the day, especially with six potential BMW Hong Kong Derby and High Achievement Bonus hopefuls among a full field of 14 competing against proven Class 2 performers.
The pace will be good to slow with Classic Beauty leading Amazing Beats in the box seat and Columbus County, ridden by Zac Purton, well placed in midfield. Super Oasis should also be well placed behind midfield.
Butterfield, who is a dual Group 1 winner from Brazil, will be further back on the fence with Nicconi Express, while Enjoying and Silvestre de Sousa will come from last and has to be careful not to be kept wide.
Nicconi Express is a course and distance winner, while the four-year-olds Super Oasis, Enjoying and Columbus County have not yet won in Hong Kong but are upcoming horses with an eye on the Derby.
I like Nicconi Express as a win and place chance going back to 1800m with Super Oasis and Enjoying, who both are working very well.
My next choice is Columbus County who ran very well in his second start in Hong Kong and will be suited by stepping up to 1800m.
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