HKJC CEO Blog

Certain incidents in racing remind us that the health of our human and equine athletes is more important than anything. Matthew Poon’s heavy fall from The Elites at Happy Valley on Wednesday was a perfect example and he has all our best wishes as remains in hospital recovering from chest and rib injuries. Meanwhile, the…

Things are moving swiftly on and off the track, with one exceptional horse departing the Hong Kong scene as Beat The Clock retires and star Australian import Classique Legend arrives at Sha Tin with connections hoping he can inherit the Champion Sprinter crown. Talk of a Coronavirus vaccine becoming available has made worldwide headlines in…

The British have an old saying that suggests a week is a long time in politics. Our American friends will doubtless have some sympathy for that view after the last few days but, if a week is a long time in politics, then two years is close to an eternity in racing. Covid-19 and a…

Experience tells us that LONGINES HKIR plans only really come together in the last few weeks before the big event and, with the world still trying to combat the pandemic, this year presents a series of unique challenges. That said, every week provides us with a few more useful pieces of the puzzle and the…

Several things became clear on a drizzly night at Happy Valley on Wednesday. Zac Purton will have to do something he has done twice before and overcome a double digit deficit to beat Joao Moreira in the race for the jockeys’ championship. Joao’s four-timer took him ten clear at the top of the table as…

One old familiar trend and a couple of recent interesting developments were the key themes from our first Saturday meeting of the season at Sha Tin. Zac Purton went into the day confident that his quiet spell was nothing to worry about and resumed normal service with a treble, while Joao Moreira recorded a double…

Anyone with a passing knowledge of data analysis knows the danger of drawing firm conclusions from small samples and that’s worth bearing in mind when it comes to a couple of the more interesting stories that have surfaced this week. It is only natural that people start to take an interest when a champion goes…

One golden image stands out from a significant Sha Tin Sunday that contained a few big surprises. Hong Kong’s famous sprint division is in a period of transition at the moment and Wishful Thinker took full advantage of a punishing gallop under Derek Leung to spring a 44-1 surprise in the Premier Bowl. Time will…

The longest journey begins with a single step and Hong Kong’s youngest jockey Jerry Chau took a notable stride when Buddies gave him a treble by winning the finale at Happy Valley on Wednesday. October has started strongly for homegrown riders and no youngster could have a better mentor than Douglas Whyte, who can be…

There is seldom a shortage of news at any race meeting and Sunday at Sha Tin was no exception. Perfect weather created more of a buzz around the winner’s enclosure than we have been used to – providing a reminder of what we can look forward to in due course – but we are constantly…