HONG KONG RACING - SO FAR IN FRONT ON SO MANY LEVELS ... AND MOVING FURTHER AHEAD

By Hong Kong Jockey Club | Saturday, August 29, 2015

The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, hosted his annual pre-season press conference at Sha Tin racecourse today ahead of what he described as “the most lucrative season in the history of Hong Kong racing” with race purses and bonuses on offer amounting to more than HK$1 billion.

With the 2015/16 season opener only one week hence, the CEO highlighted some of Hong Kong racing’s notable recent achievements, as well as the Club’s latest developments to organistational structure, racecourse infrastructure, technology, and the on-track sport.

Mr. Engelbrecht-Bresges said that “the Conghua Training Center, together with the increasing involvement of executives in supporting the Club’s role as a global leader in racing - notably through its operation of the Secretariat of the Asian Racing Federation (ARF) and its leading role in the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) - has led to an increase in the scope and complexity of the Racing Division.”

“To fulfill its international duty, meeting the requests for advice from other racing authorities, including support for the development of the sport of horse racing in China, the Division will be formed into the Racing Business and Operations Division and the Racing Authority Division,” stated Mr. Engelbrecht-Bresges.

The restructuring which came into effect on 1 August, was emphasised as a wide-reaching development with positive implications for not only Hong Kong racing but also the sport globally.

Within the new structure, Mr. Andrew Harding, the newly-promoted Executive Director, Racing Authority, is overseeing Racing Administration, which includes Racing Registry, Racing Control, Racing Laboratory and Veterinary Regulation, while continuing to work with the Racing Development Board and lead the Club’s Equestrian Affairs, ARF and IFHA activities.

Mr. Anthony Kelly, the new Executive Director, Racing Business & Operations, has responsibility over the Conghua Training Centre, Race Planning, Handicapping, International Races and Veterinary Clinical Services.

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Mr. Engelbrecht-Bresges offered an update about the Conghua Training Centre, which is located in mainland China, north east of Guangzhou.

“There were major developments to the Conghua property last season,” said the CEO as he showed the latest artistic renderings and recent photographic images of the site, which revealed the completed uphill grass gallop.

“A year ago, we had to reset our watches, if you will, with respect to the project. There had been record rainfall and also it took significantly longer to obtain environmental assessments required for a project of this scale.

“Since then, we have greatly bolstered our project management team and advanced the complex transportation and veterinary protocols that will govern our equine residents there.

Much has been accomplished within this time frame.

The site has progressed to the early stages of building construction and we have increased the stabling capacity now to 764 stalls. In size and scope, our facilities at Conghua will be unparalleled. This is an incredibly exciting enterprise and we are looking forward to its continued development.”

The CEO re-affirmed that Conghua is key to HKJC’s strategic plan to alleviate pressure for more stabling at Sha Tin, which is at capacity with more than 1200 horses in training. In its drive to maintain world-class standards, HKJC has renovated all three-storey stable blocks at Sha Tin and has now commenced renovation of the complex’s two-storey stable blocks.

“The current horse population requires a very slow and methodical process of doing this one stable at a time, and it will likely take some time until Conghua alleviates those pressures.

"Over the last three years, we have spent more than HK$410 million on Sha Tin stable refurbishments,” said Mr. Engelbrecht-Bresges, who also had news about the equine swimming pool at Sha Tin’s Olympic Stables, which, he said, is “due for completion in April 2016.

Overall, this project has run to more than HK$50 million and will provide horsemen in that complex with a top facility to aid in their ongoing training.”

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Mr. Engelbrecht-Bresges noted that the Club’s successful implementation of its ongoing business strategies had led to a significant increase in turnover in the past five seasons (HK$80.4 billion in 2010/11 to HK$107.9 billion in 2014/15) and so also to its important charity contributions to the Hong Kong community (HK1.62 billion in 2010/11 to HK$3.8 billion in 2014/15), which the CEO said he hoped would “soon top HK$4 billion in a season”.

Those strategies have also achieved increases to the quality of Hong Kong’s racing product, to attendance, which exceeded two million at its racecourses across last season (up 8% over five seasons), and have consolidated Hong Kong’s status as an elite player in international horseracing.

“The attendance metric is perhaps one of the most incredible relative to our performance,” he noted. “The competition for attention in a crowded personal entertainment marketplace is remarkable.

"We have more devices, more ways to be connected, and more distractions in our daily lives than at any other time in history. And yet, through all that, more people came to the races in Hong Kong in 2014/15 than at any point in the last 12 seasons!”

He said that HKJC will continue to embrace the latest technology and has committed over HK$2 billion across four years to develop next generation customer information and wagering systems, while the success of merged pools with Longitude will continue to advance.

Mr. Engelbrecht-Bresges also said that there had been “a massive increase in our commingling turnover as countries came on board throughout the season” and predicted that, due to Hong Kong’s world-class quality, as racing fans gain increased familiarity with the product, “more gains were likely.”

Mr. Engelbrecht-Bresges pointed to Hong Kong’s world-class standing as an arena for elite horseracing, as reflected in the top level achievements of Hong Kong’s horses and the status of its flagship races, with five of Hong Kong’s six eligible races included in the top 45 of the LONGINES World’s Top 100 Group 1 Races and most of last season’s four G1 upgrades likely to make the next Top 100.

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Following the CEO’s remarks, Mr. Richard Cheung, HKJC’s Executive Director, Customer and Marketing, detailed the latest venues to go online for the start of the new season at Sha Tin and Happy Valley under Phase III of the Racecourse Master Plan (RMP).

Two new public venues and a new Members restaurant, Provincial, at Happy Valley will open for the first fixture there on Wednesday, 9 September.

The new-look Farrier On 2 (second floor Public Betting Hall) features a 10-metre TV wall, while the public Silver Lining restaurant on level six offers casual and efficient catering services in the “Cha Chan Teng” style popular at the Wins Cafe locations at both racecourses. Public venue spending over the last three seasons has eclipsed HK$836 million.

Meanwhile, at Sha Tin, two new Members venues are ready for the season-opener on 6 September - HK Sixties is a retro restaurant venue recalling Hong Kong of fifty years ago, while Pak Hop, just next door on level four is a contemporarily-refreshed, upscale venue perfect for entertaining guests.

Mr. Cheung said: “The strategic focus of this third and final phase of our Racecourse Master Plan has been to meet the previously unfilled demand. In doing this we have created premium spaces for high-value customers and developed enhanced venues in the public areas.”

Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges is optimistic of another successful and entertaining Hong Kong racing season and invited all to make the most of the new facilities at Sha Tin and Happy Valley this term.

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