I believe a lot of you will have been enjoyed the host of exciting races – both locally and simulcast races from Australia – we offered over the past week. It was the kind of exhilarating sport that leaves us wanting more of the same, and so I can understand why I received messages from some of you, asking why the Club did not simulcast this year’s Breeders’ Cup races from Santa Anita last weekend.
The Breeders’ Cup races now carry total prize money of US$25.5 million. Together with the Arc meeting in France, Champions Day meeting in the UK, the Dubai World Cup meeting the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races, it ranks as one of the most lucrative race meetings in the world. Top horses from North America, Europe, and even Asia squared off with each other over various distances, and it naturally attracted huge attention from global racing fans, with special focus given to the titan clash between top milers from both side of Atlantic, Excelebration and Wise Dan in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
However, due to the prohibitively high betting duty in Hong Kong and rising costs, we are unable to increase the loyalty fee to a level that is acceptable to our American counterparts. This subsequently prevented us from simulcasting this prestigious US racing event to Hong Kong this year. This case highlights how the high betting duty in Hong Kong created a hindrance to our simulcast arrangements. With many overseas races, as well as our own major races, becoming increasingly popular to racing fans on a global level, we have to address and resolve this problem as soon as possible. Otherwise, if the situation is not changed, it will deprive Hong Kong fans of the opportunity to watch and wager on these top international races, and will in fact benefit the illegal and offshore bookmakers who can offer betting on these races without the issue of tax!
Fortunately, this situation has not yet affected our simulcasts from some other places such as Australia. This means that we can all enjoy our Patinack Farm Classic and Emirates Stakes simulcasts from Flemington Racecourse – which are currently under way – before turning our attention to our races at Sha Tin shortly afterwards.
Please also be reminded that after Race 7 today, we will host a welcome back ceremony for Melbourne Cup winning jockey Brett Prebble. It’s such an emphatic success for this jockey who grew up in Victoria. You can join us at the Parade Ring to cheer for and congratulate him. I know that Prebble has already accumulated 599 winners in Hong Kong. It will be interesting to see if this in-form rider can attain another landmark achievement and ride his 600th Hong Kong winner this afternoon.
Today at the racecourse, a business group, which has been one of the Club’s long-term race sponsors, will host its annual racing day at Sha Tin. The Shun Hing Group is the sole agent of Japanese electronic appliance brand Panasonic in Hong Kong. As the Club’s longest existing commercial racing sponsor, this year is the 29th consecutive year of the Panasonic Cup. I wish them every success and enjoyed a great day of racing at Sha Tin.
And for the feature race, the Panasonic Cup is run as a Class 1 with a rating band of 110 to 85 over 1400m. With six or seven horses who like to lead the race will be run at a fast pace which will give those horses coming from the back of the field a better chance to perform. Real Specialist, Voile Rouge, Beauty Flash, Chater Way, Real Supreme and Berio will go forward and this should give Silver Gracian, Fair Trade and Kyara a chance to find a good position in midfiled or just behind midfield, with Fleet Command coming from the back of the field. Among these horses I like Silver Grecian the most with the in-form Prebble in the saddle, and when it comes to Cup races John Moore’s strike rate is fantastic. Kyara will get the speed in the race to relax and is my other main choice for a win and place.
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