Last night we celebrated the achievements of some of our city’s most talented young people – the Jockey Club Scholars – at the Club’s annual presentation and graduation dinner. It’s an event I always look forward to, especially the chance to meet and hear the stories of such bright young people.
The Jockey Club Scholarships were set up 18 years ago, to support students studying at nine tertiary institutions in Hong Kong. We choose our scholars not only on academic performance but on their character and that they should embrace the value to give back to the community which is important to have this quality imbedded in future leaders. Our aim is to develop them into thought leaders and change agents. This is what makes the Jockey Club Scholarships unique in Hong Kong.
We took selfies with the students and that I had some interesting discussion with a group of our scholars and their parents. The parents are very proud of the achievement of their children and I feel very fortunate to witness the impact of our donations on the life of young people. I was really impressed by our scholars, their intellect, their positive energy and many of them come from a more humble background and this scholarship helps them a lot.
They asked me what they should do after they finish their studies and I shared with them they should choose something they are passionate about and not looking only on short term career advancement.
On the racing front, we have a rare midweek break, but Hong Kong’s world-class racing was on full display in Europe last evening. The 2015 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup was the joint 10th highest-rated race of the year, and the racing fans in France got a breathtaking taste of what we have already experienced. The Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan was run at Chantilly over 1,800 metres and saw the return of our Hong Kong Cup winner A Shin Hikari, who made his seasonal debut. The Japan-based galloper showed tremendous resolve winning here in December under jockey Yutaka Take, going to the front and setting a fast pace, leading from start to finish in a gritty run.
The ground in Chantilly was yielding and A Shin Hikari showed a more tactical approach for the first time in his career, settling just behind early leader Vadamos. When they straightened for the final 600 metres, Take slightly pushed on his mount to go forward and it was all over in a flash. A monumental ten length victory was in store, and it seemed as though he could go around again!
Dariyan, who ran a game third in our LONGINES Hong Kong Vase, was a distant second, while the third place finisher in last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, New Bay, ran sixth beaten 15 lengths in what was also his first run of the season. Should all go well, the plan is for A Shin Hikari to run in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, and given this versatility he has shown, it could be big day for Japan. It will be fun to follow his future performance and we certainly hope he returns to Hong Kong in December to defend his title.
Racing resumes in Hong Kong on Sunday and the early entries for the new Lion Rock Trophy indicate it should be a most intriguing contest.
Comment
