Category Archives: Uncategorized

In a few hours, the sun will set one final time on 2011 and perhaps amidst spectacular pyrotechnics, communal singing, dancing and much laughter, many of us will take a moment to reflect upon the past year before looking ahead to the promise that awaits us in 2012. Each year’s end is synonymous with a…

Hi there, I hope you all enjoyed some warm and happy moments with your families and friends during the Christmas holidays.  Over the past two mornings, temperatures here have plunged to as low as 10 degrees, making it the coldest Christmas holiday in Hong Kong for more than two decades.For a European like me brought…

Over the past week, livelihood issues have become an especially hot topic of discussion, sparked by the announcement that both the city's power companies plan to increase their electricity tariffs next year.  While periodic increases are inevitable, the sharp proposed hikes of as much as 6-9 per cent this time have aroused much concern from…

Last week we saw Able One winning the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile, the third international G1 title of his illustrious career.  Although this veteran miler is already a nine-year-old, his age didn’t seem to take much toll on him.  You can never discount solid experience when competing at top level, and Able One and…

I'm sure you'll agree that last Sunday was one of the most memorable days in Hong Kong’s racing history – and a fantastic present for my birthday earlier this week – with our home runners achieving their best-ever result in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin.Our local trio of Lucky Nine…

At Wednesday's Happy Valley meeting we saw Italian maestro Frankie Dettori net a double in the Cathay Pacific International Jockeys' Championship to take this coveted title for the third time, exactly 10 years after his previous success.  Frankie's winning rides were a perfect demonstration of his classy all-round riding skills – the first was a…

Last weekend we were able to see one of Europe's top rising stars in action on Hong Kong soil, as Mickael Barzalona began his one-month riding stint at Sunday's mixed-surface meeting at Sha Tin.  He initially had six mounts in the ten races, which is a very encouraging level of support from our trainers. He…

I know you'll have been as saddened as I was to learn the news about the tragic fire that claimed nine lives and seriously injured many more in Fa Yuen Street, Mong Kok, in the early hours of Wednesday morning.  It's the most serious blaze to affect Hong Kong for some 15 years and has…

I expect many of our racing fans will have seen from the news reports these past two days that one of our main contenders in the International Races, Snow Fairy, has been withdrawn from the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase after sustaining a leg injury in trackwork on Monday.  It's a great shame to see…

A few of you may remember from earlier blogs that my home town is Mönchengladbach, a city of about 250,000 people in the western part of Germany.  Most local football fans will be familiar with the name through the city's famous football club, Borussia Mönchengladbach.  The club has been established for more than a century…