WINNO, HRO AND THE HKIR - A WINNING COMBINATION

By Graham Potter | Thursday, December 12, 2024

You probably really had to be there when the work submitted by Darren Winningham during the week of the Longines Hong Kong International Races came across the HRO news desk to be able to fully appreciate the full weight of Winno’s significant contribution to the coverage of that magnificent week of racing which always shines brightly on the global stage.

The army of journalists and photographers officially accredited by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) for the week … sixteen countries were represented this year … work very much for different sized organisations and have a wide range of different briefs they are expected to deliver on, so it is very much an ‘each to their own’ story in terms of how everybody goes about things.

Having said that, you would be very hard-pressed to find anybody, other than the Hong Kong Jockey Club journalists and photographers themselves. who worked harder in Hong Kong than Winno.

The HKJC provides wall to wall coverage of their racing and, if so inclined, the easy route is to just take stories off the Club website and use them … and the HKJC encourages that, happy to receive any and all exposure.

With Winno being a workaholic though, there would be no following an easy path.

He is at his best writing his own copy and generating unique video interviews, not to mention the literally thousands of photographs he takes … or the time involved in creating such a body of work with his content being sourced from early in the morning at trackwork right through wrapping up some stores after the last race and writing them up late at night … all fuelled by a passion which seemingly never runs out.

The combined word count of all of Winno’s stories would fill a small novel. The huge amount of photographs offer a detailed pictorial history of the week’s racing and his videos with top officials, owners, trainers and jockeys place you right at the track, in the midst of it all … while the number of ‘views’ and ‘likes’ on his social media posts is still rising as we speak.

When you work with Winno, such as working the back desk to which all his work is submitted, as I do, you have to keep pace with him to make it all worth-while in terms of editing and posting stories, transcribing video comments, sorting through an enormous about of photographs, selecting and cropping photos and then posting the final finished project on HRO for all to see.

Without doubt, without Winno, the front man in the whole operation, the coverage would not be anywhere near as good at it is.

Ultimately though, it does come down to a real team effort and we at HRO are very proud of the coverage we have provided for the 2024 edition of the HKIR week and we look forward to continuing this fruitful and friendly relationship with the Hong Kong Jockey Club that has HRO has forged with Hong Kong Jockey Club over the last eight years.

It is only fair that Winno has the last word.

“I would like to express our sincere thanks for the continued invitations along with the official media accreditation which allows HRO the opportunity to provide extensive, original coverage of the two Hong Kong feature race days,” said Winno.

“A particular vote of thanks goes to Priscilla, Betty, Pam, Henry, Bearbi and Heidi and the other HKJC staff for their efforts at the HKIR Media Centre at the Renaissance Harbourview Hotel and at the track and for their amazing support in ensuring that we were always up to date with the most accurate information.

“And, of course, as always, a special mention to the mighty Larry who directs, supports, and encourages the media so well at the track itself and who always ensures that I was in the right spot at the right time for the photo opportunities.

“The HKJC media team is second to none. They are only too happy to assist and make sure the best coverage of the LONGINES HKIR is achieved.

“Thanks, one and all.”

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