Let's praise the efforts made by ladies

Having just returned to Hong Kong from France, I'm delighted to tell you all that apart from attending various work meetings, I still had the luxury of enjoying some excellent food in Paris.  I have not forgotten what I promised you all last week.  I visited two seafood restaurants – Le Dome in Montparnasse and Le Vaudeville – and I would say both restaurants are simply top class.  Do give them a try if you are travelling to Paris.

Like many of you, I was stunned by the disappointing performance of top favourite Authorized in last Sunday's Arc race.  It was in good faith that I suggested Authorized when I wrote my last blog, but I regretted the suggestion once I reached the paddock of Longchamp, as when I looked at the horse there, I thought it actually looked too fit and even a bit overdone.

In comparison, Dylan Thomas looked better and went on to prove his ability in the race, while Soldier of Fortune lacked a bit of luck and I think it would have finished third otherwise. But hindsight is always easy in horse racing.

Recently, I've been very impressed by the performance of the German women's football team, who defeated Brazil to clinched their second consecutive FIFA Women's World Cup in China a fortnight ago.  In particular, I'm amazed by the dominance they showed throughout, having outscored their opponents 21-0 in the six matches they played to win the trophy.

Rather like football, racing is an industry that has long tended to be dominated by men.  However, I don't find it difficult to name a few women who have made outstanding achievements for the sport.

A notable example is renowned Australian horse trainer Gai Waterhouse, who has won 75 Group One races and trained successful multiple Group One winners like Grand Armee and Dance Hero.  Former American jockey Julie Krone, who was once invited by the Club to ride in Hong Kong in the 1994 Ladies' Purse Day, is another that must be mentioned.  She netted more than 3,700 winners in her career and became the first female jockey to win a US Triple Crown race, riding Colonial Affair in the Belmont Stakes in 1993.

All these outstanding sportswomen in both football and horse racing have shown first-class sportsmanship and dedication in striving for the best possible performances.

Although the participation of women in racing has been less common in Asia than in Britain, the US, Australia or New Zealand, the Club has also nurtured a few outstanding female apprentice jockeys like Sherie Kong, Chung Lai-fong, Carol Yu and the late Willy Kan.  Even though we have no female jockeys at present, their names remain very familiar to many local racing fans.  We also have a number of very talented horsewomen among our work riders and riding school staff.

Behind the scenes, the Club, being one of the largest employers in Hong Kong, also has more than 12,000 female staff members who work very hard week in, week out, making sure every one of our race meetings runs smoothly.

Our upcoming race meeting tomorrow, the Ladies' Purse Day, offers us an opportunity to praise the efforts made by all these ladies.

Matching the sportsmanship, diligence and excellence shown by these ladies, the Club is delighted to invite Yu Chui-yee, Hong Kong's wheelchair fencing gold-medallist in the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games and an awardee in the 35th Ten Outstanding Young Persons Selection this year, to be one of our trophy presenters for tomorrow's feature race, the Sa Sa Ladies' Purse.

With attendances reaching as much as 70,000 in the past couple of years, the Ladies' Purse Day has become one of our most popular race meetings of the year.  As usual, we will arrange a lot of on-course programmes for our racing fans.

Ladies and menfolk alike, I hope every one of you will find tomorrow's programme fun and enjoyable.