The keen football followers amongst you will have seen two worrying pieces of news coming from the British game this week, with Glasgow Rangers going into administration and Portsmouth followed them yesterday. The latter was perhaps no great surprise, as Portsmouth have been in and out of financial difficulties for some while and it was the second time in three seasons they entered administration. But Rangers are one of the "big two" Scottish clubs and you would always have imagined that their status was impregnable.
Rangers and their cross-city counterparts Celtic are quite well known in Hong Kong. Both teams have a lot of fans in the expat community, no doubt including our Club Chairman Brian Stevenson who is a native Glaswegian, and their "Old Firm" derby matches always attract special rivalry and interest.
Sadly, however, Rangers' recent dispute with British tax authorities has left the club's management with no choice but to resort to the option of seeking administration. This reflects the growing difficulties of running a top-class football club in Europe nowadays, given the skyrocketing expenses of players' wages and bonuses that clubs have to pay to ensure that they stay competitive at domestic and continental levels, especially at a time when many European economies are still in the doldrums.
We are indeed fortunate to be living in Hong Kong where the economy remains fairly healthy, but the Club can never afford to be complacent about these issues, as competition from other gaming entertainment operators is growing all the time, as well as from online and offshore bookmakers. At the same time, our overhead costs continue to rise rapidly with inflation and the weak exchange rate of the Hong Kong dollar.
The Club's long-term sustainability cannot be taken for granted, and that's why we continue to press the Government for measures like commingling and a reduced betting duty rate that can help us to stay more competitive in the market. Ultimately, the Club's healthy status benefits everyone in Hong Kong, by providing a stable source of tax and charitable contributions.
Tomorrow at Sha Tin there'll be more Group 1 racing action on offer, so I hope we'll see a strong attendance and turnover, resulting in further healthy contributions to the Government's Treasury and our Charities Trust. This time the big feature race is the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Classic Cup, which will see 14 rising young stars taking the field with the aim of strengthening their Derby selection claims.
Unfortunately, though, one of our top jockeys will be absent from the line-up, as you may have seen from today's news reports that Darren Beadman, who was due to partner one of his stable's five runners Dan Excel, was dislodged from his mount Lucky Together in the second heat of barrier trials at Sha Tin yesterday morning, and has had to withdraw from all of tomorrow's nine riding engagements.
I was not at the racecourse at the time but kept closely in touch with developments after hearing the news. I understand that Darren fell off when his mount fell shortly after the jump. Darren was rushed to hospital, where he was found to have a fractured cheekbone.
I feel very sorry for Darren and wish him a speedy recovery. I understand that a lot of racing fans have expressed their care and opinions about the recent fall incidents involving Vincent Ho and Brett Prebble in last Saturday’s races. These had all been individual incidents occurring for different reasons.
Despite Darren’s absence, I expect this 1800m contest to remain very entertaining, as the line-up will include strong challengers like Sweet Orange and Fay Fay, winner and runner-up respectively of last month’s Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Classic Mile. Last year, Ambitious Dragon won this 1800m event en route to success in the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby, the most prestigious domestic race in our calendar. So let’s see if any of tomorrow's runners can follow in his hoofprints and take the first step to victory in this year's Derby on 18 March.
As you may know, the HKG1 MBHK Classic Cup over 1800m is the lead up to the Derby which is run over 2000m. It is also the first test for some of the good milers on whether they can go further in distance, while horses with more staying capabilities may be able to turn the tables. The expected slow tempo is of some concern and could turn this race more to a sprint over the last two furlongs. Liberator should lead and a number of on-pace horses will try to find a good position behind the pace with Zaidan and Dan Excel being in this good spot. Sweet Orange from Gate 13 will face the problem of racing wide on the pace or pushing up to join the leaders. Last time he was racing wide but he still performed very well. On his current form he should have a decent each-way chance. Dan Excel has to improve from a rating point of view to have a chance, but his last first-up run in Hong Kong was very encouraging despite being a little bit heavy going into that race. His fitness has improved and he is one of the chance runners for me. Smart Giant is a better horse over 1800m and despite his draw in 11, he should find a position in the front of the field which should be an advantage and is a chance for the top-three finish. I am still of the view that Fay Fay is the horse to beat for the Derby despite the slight disappointment of only finishing second last time out. Starting from Gate 9 in tomorrow’s race, I think Douglas Whyte should be able to find a spot around midfield, relax him and come with a strong run home. Packing Tycoon should be better suited with the extra distance and his fitness has improved, he is for me with a chance to be placed as well.
The Bailey Handicap as a Class 2 over 1200m sees a promising 3-year-old Best Eleven taking on other proven sprinters. The expected good pace should give every horse a fair chance. Arrived Ahead and King Mossman will have to work from their Gates 11 and 12 to get to the front with Tailwind (Gate 3), Best Eleven, Straight Gold and Profilic Champion behind them. Windicator Power and Chater Mikado should find good positions in midfield but Paganini's Soul likely to be taken to the back due to his draw of 14. Pizzazz as always will be at the back. He is working very well and has a good chance to win the race or at least to be placed coming with a strong run from the back. Straight Gold is relaxing better in his exercises at track work, and I think he’s good enough to challenge Pizzazz. Last time winner Windicator Power is quite consistent and he is another place chance. In-form Best Eleven is still working great in the morning trackwork. He’s drawn well tomorrow and I think he’s good enough to win the race. Last but not least Chater Mikado from Gate 1 is another contender which should not be forgotten for a place!
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