Author Archives: KH Lau

I think I speak for many people in Hong Kong racing in saying how desperately sad I was to learn that Pat Smullen passed away overnight. Pat’s achievements in the saddle were truly exceptional – he was Irish champion nine times in an era which featured fierce rivals such as Michael Kinane and Johnny Murtagh…

If 2020 has taught us anything it is that nothing can be taken for granted but, for the moment at least, things appear to be moving in a positive direction both for our city as a whole and for the racing industry that plays such a vibrant role in its weekly life. Hong Kong has…

The thrill of being at the races on the first day of a new season never gets old and, even without our usual crowd of 50,000 or more, Sunday at Sha Tin provided a perfect window into why Hong Kong’s world-class racing resonates all around the world. Racing fans from far and wide had a…

There is nothing like the start of a new racing season to generate optimism. Owners, trainers, riders and fans all dream that this could be their year – and that positivity is one of the sport’s greatest assets – but the modern world forces us to be realistic as well as optimistic. Coronavirus made last…

A racing season like no other. That is the only way to describe the last ten and a half months but, as the lights went out at Happy Valley on Wednesday, the main emotion was one of pride that Hong Kong racing has overcome some of the sternest challenges in its long history. Full details…

And so we come to the final day of a season that has highlighted Hong Kong racing’s resilience like no other. A third wave of COVID-19 infections is causing serious concern and, in alignment with renewed Government rules on public gatherings and social distancing, the Club has acted swiftly to make several significant modifications to…

The world has changed into a very different place since Douglas Whyte recorded his first winner as a trainer on the opening day of the 2019/20 season at Sha Tin last September. Douglas was in the headlines again with a Happy Valley double on Wednesday but, ten months on from his first win, Hong Kong’s…

Any good drama needs to end on a high and that was certainly the case at Sha Tin last weekend when one championship story took a crucial turn and another remained as hard to predict as ever. But before we move on to this year’s title races, it’s well worth reflecting on the positive effect…

Racing continues to produce strong stories as the end of the Hong Kong season approaches and this weekend will be busy at home and abroad, with an intriguing Sha Tin card sandwiched between simulcast broadcasts featuring four Classics from England and France. Time is running out as our two most famous riders pursue a fourth…

It has taken something special to dislodge Zac Purton and Joao Moreira from the main headlines this week but some of our top trainers have managed to do just that. Joao outscored Zac by 2-1 at Sha Tin last weekend to keep his title hopes alive but the main focus of Saturday’s card was a…