HK Jockey Club brings in Year of the Horse with a bang
Sha Tin Racecourse welcomed a large and enthusiastic crowd of racing fans, including many tourists, on Thursday for the Year of the Horse Raceday, one of the highlights of the Club’s Year of the Horse campaign.
The campaign is a year-long celebration of the close bond between horses and humans and the contribution racing makes to Hong Kong.
Racing is not only the city’s favourite pastime, but a symbol of its can-do spirit and stability under One Country, Two Systems. Thanks to the success of Hong Kong horses on the international stage, it also brings pride to Hong Kong citizens and global recognition to our city. None of this would be possible without the horse.
Officiating at the opening ceremony and extending their New Year blessings to racegoers were The Hon Paul Chan, Financial Secretary of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; The Hon Rosanna Law, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; The Hon Martin Liao, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; and Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club. Also in attendance were Club Stewards and Club jockeys.
Throughout the day racing fans and tourists immersed themselves in festive joy, enjoying special programmes, blessing points and photo spots, with plenty of Year of the Horse luck to take home with them.
A special highlight was two “Harmonious Horses” sculptures standing over three metres high and created by renowned artist Simon Ma, symbolising the unity between the Club and the community. Their appearance marked the launch of the Harmonious Horse International Exhibition Tour, which will see the horses tour Hong Kong throughout the year as part of the Club’s Year of the Horse campaign.
Also attracting a great deal of attention – and photo-taking – was the Club’s float from the International Chinese New Year Night Parade on the first day of Chinese New Year.
The months to come will see many more events celebrating the Year of the Horse, the highlight being the launch, in October, of world-class racing, equestrian events and entertainment at the Club’s Conghua Racecourse in Guangzhou. This will be a significant milestone in the Club’s support for national equine industry development in the Greater Bay Area and beyond.
On course, Tony Cruz’s Stunning Peach took out the Year of the Horse Cup, with Angus Chung in the saddle. Paying 5.50 at betting sites, Stunning Peach bolted home to defeat favourite Top Dragon and Regal Gem.
