As you may know, I took part in the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon last Sunday, and I must say I found the whole event quite an amazing experience. I was not only delighted about participating in the run – one of the largest sporting events in Hong Kong – but also thrilled about being cheered on by the large and very passionate crowds near the finish. Even though I only finished in a midfield position in the Leaders Cup category, I'm quite happy about this, as taking part in this charitable event meant a lot more than the results.
Some people asked me afterwards if I would be interested to join the 10km or half-marathon event next year. I will certainly give that some thought, although I think it's quite difficult for me to perform at my best in these events, as it may not be easy for me to run among a huge crowd of participants. Having said that, I always believe that running and jogging are very good forms of exercise and worth doing regularly. They don't only help keep your body in good shape, they can also help people build determination and perseverance.
As well as preparing for the run, I've had a busy working schedule in the past week including attending two race meetings. Despite this, I've tried my best to set aside the time to attend some of the many spring receptions hosted by different district bodies and non-governmental organisations at this time of year, and show the Jockey Club's appreciation and support for their work. It is always very interesting to meet representatives from different districts and social welfare groups, and learn more about the challenges they face.
As Hong Kong's largest community benefactor, the Club has always placed huge importance on its ties with leaders of the 18 districts and different social organisations in society. I find it very useful to have this chance of being the Club's ambassador and explain how our racing and leisure activities make a positive contribution to the local community.
There are quite a number of other sports clubs in Hong Kong whose history and traditions go back to the same era as the Jockey Club. One of them is the Craigengower Cricket Club, our close neighbour in Happy Valley, which was established in 1894. They have built close ties with the sport of horse racing by sponsoring an annual feature race at Happy Valley Racecourse, the Craigengower Cricket Club Challenge Cup, which takes place tonight. Among the eight races on the card, I'll keeping my eyes on the performances of China Hero and Jamesina.
China Hero produced decent performances in his last two starts at Sha Tin and Happy Valley respectively. He will just be carrying 107 pounds and starting the race from Gate 1. Let's see if these factors can favour him giving another nice run tonight. Having just defeated by Centenary Vase winner Eyshal for half a length in his penultimate start, Jamesina eventually snatched a winner in his previous appearance in Happy Valley last month. He will again be starting in the distance of 1,800m, teaming up with jockey Douglas Whyte, and I'll be interested to see if this David Ferraris-trained horse can continue his great form tonight.
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