Racing ... still the sport of kings

Howard Hamilton HORSE SENSE

My love for thoroughbred racing has taken me to many corners of the world. Having just returned from my annual 'sabbatical' in Saratoga, the racing capital of the United States, I now find myself in the Far East where racing is still the king of sports, at the same time, epitomising what it means to be the sport of kings. I am currently in Hong Kong, where I had the opportunity to go to the races on Sunday, October 21, at Happy Valley

Happy Valley is the smaller of two tracks, and is situated in the midst of the city's bustling skyscraper district. It is surrounded by the lights of multi-level apartments and affords spectators a close view of the races. The grass track is 1400 metres (7 furlongs) in circumference, and has a home straight of 310m. The inner field is fully utilised, accommodating a number of sporting activities - football, hockey, etc.

Thoroughbred racing in Hong Kong is vital to the economy and contributes substantially to government's revenue. Racing is controlled by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), which was founded in 1884. It is an exclusive club, structured as a not-for-profit corporation, which contributes some 12 per cent of Hong Kong's tax revenue.

The surpluses generated are allocated to various charities, i.e., hospitals, schools, etc., through the HKJC Charities Trust. Membership is drawn from the upper class, and there are currently 20,000 members. All new applicants must be introduced by one of the 200 voting members, and only a limited number are admitted. You can appreciate that membership is highly prized, and carries with it a high level of snob value.

professional institution

Over the years, there have been a few changes, and the club eventually evolved into the professional institution that it now is. The HKJC conducts 83 days of racing per year at its two main tracks, the larger and more popular Sha Tin and the smaller and very attractive Happy Valley. The average field size is 12.5 horses per race, with roughly 700 races conducted annually.

There are some 1,200 licensed owners, 25 trainers, and 35 jockeys, and currently there are 1,200 horses in training. To own a horse you must be a member of the Jockey Club, and a member is limited to owning only four horses at any one time. There are approximately 1,000 applications from members for approximately 340 permits to import a horse each year, so it is a great status symbol to own a horse in Hong Kong. A trainer has no payroll, and does not invoice his owners, as the staff is employed by the Jockey Club, and medications, feed, bedding, etc., are all handled by the club.

The quality of Hong Kong thoroughbred racing has developed substantially. The prize money is so extensive that the champion riders and trainers from France, England, Australia and South Africa all eagerly vie for the few invitations to race in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong international races are now recognised among the most prestigious events in the racing world, and remain the meeting point for northern and southern hemispheres. With a population of 1,200 thoroughbreds from around the world, Hong Kong racing is regulated under an easy-to-understand handicap system, where gallopers gain or lose rating points from their performance on the race course, resulting in close and competitive racing. The information provided is mind-boggling, with full videos and extensive reporting of every race run. Track work data, performance history, weights carried, times, racing weights - everything is extensively detailed.

Racing in Hong Kong is unique. There is no breeding industry, and all horses are imported, with most of them racing as geldings. Seventy per cent of the horses are imported from Australia and New Zealand, with Europe and America making up the rest. The betting turnover is enormous, and the attention to customer needs is matched by the focus on maintaining the highest level of integrity. It is interesting to note that recently a jockey was sent to prison for giving information about the outcome of a race in which he was riding. This was treated as trading insider information, and attracted the stiffest penalty.

Hong Kong people have a propensity to gamble. With a population of only 7.0 million people, there is an average turnover at the races of some US$124.0 million per race day. Wagering here is the highest in the world! No effort is spared to enforce compliance and transparency to assure the public of a level playing field. What is interesting is that there is a system of 'trial races', which are used for trainers to determine the fitness of their horse, so every horse entered on a race day is expected to be at its optimum racing ability. The stewards are extremely diligent in ensuring that jockeys ride their horses to win.

It should be noted that there is zero tolerance for race day medication. Horses that bleed from the nostrils are barred from racing for three months. During the first month, the horse is not permitted to use the swimming pool or train on the track. During the second and third months of the ban, the horse is permitted to use all training facilities. Any horse which bleeds from the nostrils for a third time is permanently banned from any further racing in Hong Kong.

Our local regulators could learn much from the structure of racing here in Hong Kong. Take, for example, the fact that there are only 25 trainers servicing a racing population of 1,200 horses. The Jockey School is internationally recognised, and supplies the professionals for racing not only in Hong Kong, but also Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Why can't the local school be expanded to cover the needs of the Caribbean racing industry?

Next Saturday: More on Hong Kong Racing.

Howard L. Hamilton CD. JP is a former chairman of Caymanas Park Ltd. and is the current president of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. He can be contacted at howham23@gmail.com