With the memories of Hong Kong’s success at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics still gloriously vivid, it is appropriate that we celebrate our amazing sportspeople as well as the 30th anniversary of the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) at the Club’s race meeting at Sha Tin on Monday (27 December).
Hong Kong Elite Athletes Raceday is due recognition of our wonderful sporting ambassadors and their prowess on the international stage, which has fostered immense pride in Hong Kong and serves as a reminder of the extraordinary work performed by the HKSI, which has long shared a close relationship with the Club.
The Club’s ongoing support to HKSI stretches back to 1982 when the Institute was founded as the Jubilee Sports Centre and has now amounted to more than HK$730 million in Club support. This figure includes HK$103 million in 2013 to redevelop the athletes’ hostel into the Jockey Club Sports Building, a multi-purpose elite training and coaching centre which supports the development of Paralympic sports, junior athletes and coach education.
On Monday, we will celebrate our contemporary athletes and the HKSI with the Hong Kong Elite Athletes Cup and the Hong Kong Sports Institute Anniversary Cup. Other races on the programme are named in honour of the seven sports which produced medals in Tokyo this year – fencing, swimming, cycling, table tennis, karate, badminton and boccia as well as equestrian.
As we know, Hong Kong excelled in Tokyo with our athletes securing a record six Olympic medals and a further five at the Paralympics.
International sport is part of Hong Kong’s DNA and events such as LONGINES Hong Kong International Raceday and LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship showcase our city and people at the highest level.
Looking to the future, the Club remains committed to sports promotion in Hong Kong, both at elite international standard and community level. The Club has pledged to provide HK$150 million in funding to match the Government’s grant to boost research and development in elite sports over the next three years.
This support will assist our athletes to prepare for the 2022 Asian and Asian Para Games, the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games as well as other events in this time frame. From a community viewpoint, the benefits of sport are well established, both physically and mentally.
The Club’s contributions to HKSI are in alignment with our over-riding principle of operating for the betterment of Hong Kong society – and not just in sport, but across a broad array of pursuits, including education, the arts and medicine.
On Monday, we acknowledge our athletes with a pair of Cup races featured on the 10-race holiday card, the first of which is the Class 2 Hong Kong Sports Institute 30th Anniversary Cup over 2000 metres. The pace will be good to slow with Enjoying likely to make the running with Antoine Hamelin. Flying Quest will keep him honest under Matthew Poon. Both are place chances given the slow tempo of the race.
Senor Toba is a legitimate BMW Hong Kong Derby prospect and comes into this race off a promising run two weeks ago when he finished well to be third over a mile. He is a proven stayer with good Australian form for trainer Chris Waller before coming to Hong Kong, including a strong showing when a close second in the 18-runner Group 1 Queensland Derby. He is a win and place chance with the step up in trip coming from the back. Joao Moreira takes the ride for the first time.
Berlin Tango turned in a creditable effort when beaten less than five lengths in the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup two weeks ago and will appreciate the class relief here. He is in good form and is a place chance, also coming from the back for Vincent Ho.
The seventh race is the Class 3 Hong Kong Elite Athletes Cup over 1400 metres, which will also be run at a good to slow tempo. Beauty Champ is a two-time winner over this distance in Ireland and has trialled well in preparation for his Hong Kong debut. He will be on the pace in a slowly run race and is a win and place chance from his good draw with Joao Moreira.
Nothing New proved difficult to settle in his last start at Happy Valley and paid the price. Nothing New will need to cross over under jockey Harry Bentley and relax behind the leaders to deliver his best effort. I make him a place chance under the light weight along with early leader Mercurial with Matthew Poon and Prime Minister with Derek Leung.
Before our special Monday holiday race meeting, we will simulcast seven races on Sunday from Japan featuring the Group 1 Arima Kinen over 2500 metres. Efforia will be the favourite with the only blemish on his record being a nose defeat in the Japanese Derby. He became the first three-year-old in 19 years to win the Tenno Sho Autumn in his last start and is a win and place chance to prevail here. He is a very good colt and will be ridden by Takeshi Yokoyama, who celebrated his 23rd birthday earlier this week.
This is the final race in the great career of Chrono Genesis. She was seventh in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe but has strong form in Japan and will be ridden by Christophe Lemaire. She is a place chance along with Titleholder and Akai Ito.
Titleholder will make the running and is a Group 1-winning three-year-old. He will be ridden by Kazuo Yokoyama. Akai Ito is a consistent filly that will do her running from the back under Hideaki Miyuki and she comes into the Arima Kinen in top form.
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