Achieving the right balance between safe social distancing, protecting the economy and ensuring the normal functioning of society is vital as Hong Kong enters the latest phase of the fight to combat Coronavirus. And, as part of maintaining that balance, it is gratifying to hear that the Hong Kong government are in agreement that continuing racing with all appropriate safety measures in place remains in the public interest.
These twin messages have been firmly reiterated this week and racing’s role was referenced by Chief Executive Carrie Lam in a media briefing that provided a strong endorsement of the value of racing at this challenging time.
The Club has worked hard to align with Government policy at every turn over the last few months and Tuesday’s briefing stressed the stringent requirements put in place for racing to continue along with how our sport serves the public interest by providing “stay-home” entertainment for racing fans.
The briefing also touched on the need to discourage illegal gambling and the Club’s status as one of the largest charity donors in the city and also emphasized the need to showcase the tenacity of Hong Kong racing on the international stage.
It is now more than ten weeks since the Club imposed major restrictions on racecourse attendance and, with the number of cases having more than doubled in the last two weeks, it is clear this problem will be with us for longer than many people suspected.
Thankfully, racing has evolved in a way that means that we can continue to engage responsibly with a major audience. Even in lockdown mode we still have hundreds of thousands of people interacting with the sport while keeping safe at home and their enjoyment of the sport enables the Club to keep making very positive contributions to society as a whole.
Hong Kong racing has remained in the news both locally and internationally this week. Beauty Generation added another amazing achievement to his record when passing the HK$100 million mark in prize money under Zac Purton in the Chairman’s Trophy.
Voyage Warrior paid another significant tribute to the value of being trained from Conghua by springing a surprise for Vincent Ho in the Sprint Cup and the Club has made a further significant investment and commitment to the future of Hong Kong racing at the Easter Yearling Sale in Australia this week, purchasing four colts for a total of around HK$10 million on Tuesday and another five for around HK$15 million today.
Sunday’s turnover was remarkable, down just six per cent on last year even though we raced behind closed doors with Off-Course Betting Branches closed. The figure was boosted by significant commingling, indicating a strong, growing international interest, and a turnover increase of around 35 per cent on Saturday’s Randwick meeting illustrates the power of simulcasts and the value of distributing high-class racing globally.
Moving forward, the need to align all we do to public health remains extremely important, as is a real buy-in from all key stakeholders. Naturally, some owners are disappointed they cannot take a winning photo but we ask for continued understanding. We also ask a lot from our licence holders – stable staff, jockeys and trainers – and the way they act together to keep the racing bubble intact is vital to keeping the whole industry going.
At this stage, we have to remain very guarded about when all of our supporters will be able to come racing again – the situation is simply too fluid and complicated to look too far ahead. However, the loss of last weekend’s Rugby Sevens and many other major events only emphasizes the role that racing plays in providing enjoyment, employment and financial contributions to our city and long may that continue as we move further down this difficult road.
Moving on to Wednesday’s Happy Valley action, the Class 2 Hing Man Handicap is the final race of the night with four of 12 runners in the 1000m sprint eligible for the Club’s HK$1 million High Achievement Bonus. The race features a number of course and distance specialists, including one in the making.
Stronger was an impressive winner over this trip two starts back in February and should get a similar trip here behind the early leaders. He is drawn between Winner Supreme and Moment Of Power, who will push forward to make the running. Zac Purton should put Stronger in a good spot and give him every opportunity as a win and place chance.
This Is Class steps up in grade and turns back in trip after two straight wins when allowed to dictate the pace. The tempo will be quicker here and he is drawn wide but he does come into the race in career best form and is a place chance for Vincent Ho.
Gentle Breeze is well drawn and is a three-time winner this season over the course and distance, and a five-time winner overall. He is a place chance along with Hong Kong Bet, who returns to his preferred track.
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