Last Tuesday we simulcast the Melbourne Cup from Flemington racecourse to Hong Kong and I was delighted to see victory go to a German-trained horse for the first time in the race’s history. Andreas Wohler’s Protectionist made a barnstorming run in the final stage to claim an emphatic victory in Australia’s greatest race. Following Fiorente’s win last year, this was the second consecutive Melbourne Cup to be won by a son of the champion German sire Monsun.
Our Club’s former Chairman Ronald Arculli should be gratified in watching his horse Red Cadeaux finishing second, the third time he has been runner-up in the past four runnings of the Cup. He’s such a tough old warrior and a real favourite around the world, so hopefully he will come to Hong Kong again on 14 December for the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase, which he won in 2012.
The Melbourne Cup is an important day for Australians wherever they are in the world and this year, as happens each year, some Australian nationals who live or work in Hong Kong gathered at Happy Valley racecourse to watch the race. They enjoyed a wonderful day out, sipping champagne with their friends and enjoying the day’s races from their homeland. If you read the local racing papers you will know that Aussie jockeys Brett Prebble and Nash Rawiller were among the attendees at Happy Valley on Tuesday. Just as they would at Flemington Racecourse, the ladies who came to the event dressed up and put on fashionable hats, making it a real Melbourne Cup occasion.
Over the past decade the ladies’ day concept has become increasingly popular in many racing jurisdictions, and such a meeting in Hong Kong, first run in 1846, has become one of the most important fixtures in our own local racing calendar. The concept of most of these meetings evolved out of a few well-established and prestigious ladies’ day race meetings from around the world. In Australia, for instance, apart from the Melbourne Cup, the Victoria Racing Club also hosted a Ladies’ Day meeting on Oaks Day on Thursday at Flemington. Fashion and style came to the fore that day, and the major non-racing highlight on course was the final of a national fashion contest. It was dubbed as the largest outdoor fashion event in Australia!
Among those Ladies’ Days in Europe, the most famous is held on the third day of Royal Ascot. It offers an opportunity for racing fans not only to watch top-class races but also to dress up in their finery alongside the Queen of England and members of the Royal Family. It is tradition for the ladies to wear their beautiful hats, and so add extra glamour to this historic race meeting.
In my homeland in Germany such themed meetings are also held at a few tracks across the nation every year. Among them, a large scale one is held at Hoppegarten racecourse in Berlin in May or June each year. The meeting is little different to the Ladies’ Days in other countries – those who come to the races dress stylishly and the atmosphere is great. There’s also the Hutwettbewerb, a dedicated hat contest, which this year had over 500 participants – some of whom even wore their self-designed, home-made hats for the occasion!
Tomorrow we will stage our very own version of Ladies’ Day, the Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse day at Sha Tin racecourse. Thanks to the generous support of our sponsor Sa Sa International Holdings since 2005, in the past decade the event has become one of our most popular and is one of our highest attended meetings. From hat contest and fashion shows featuring famous local artists, to make-up workshops and merchandise corners, we have prepared a wide range of ladies-themed activities on course tomorrow. I hope you all will come along and enjoy a marvelous afternoon of racing.
The highlight of the day is the Sa Sa Ladies' Purse which is run as a 1800m HKG3 under handicap conditions. The pace is expected to be good to slow with the potential leader Helene Super Star working his way to the front. Sunny Ying, Khaya, Same World and Packing Llaregyb should be well placed. A lot of runners will be bunched in midfield, with Mr Gnocchi and Ashkiyr to be taken back to avoid being trapped wide. Willie Cazals and Travel Brand are likely staying at the back of the field.
Packing Llaregyb will be having his first run over the distance of 1800m but he should be able to stay the extra 200m. He is working well and is my first choice. Khaya was a little disappointing in his last start but is still a horse I like at least for a place. Rainbow Chic is another horse with a chance, while Helene Super Star and Willie Cazals should not be underestimated here.
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