THE LONGINES HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL RACES: COME ON. GO AHEAD AND TREAT YOURSELF

By Graham Potter | Thursday, December 14, 2017

The Longines Hong Kong International Races creates an aura where the combination of passion, magnificence, colour, energy and emotion and competition all play their part in the wonderment of a magical experience.

Passion grips an entire community ... a passion ultimately for the magnificence of the racing thoroughbred whose ability has been fine tuned for this particular moment.

The jockey’s silks bring every shade of colour and design into the arena adding brilliance of an already bright occasion.

There is energy all around, Spectators and connections share the common thrill of expectation as the horses, with glowing coats and clearly defined muscles ready to launch into action, make their way out to the front of the packed grandstands and move away to the start.

The emotion stays. Nervous, anxious, excited ... the whole gamut of emotion is in play and then the barriers slam open and the race is on!

Cheers are raised. Now it is straight competition.

This is racing at its best, a truly international contest of races which justifiably attracts not only the top horses world-wide, but the leading riders from countries spread across continents.

The actual Longines Hong Kong International races fill four races on the card but it is a day long experience. Profit making apart, where your gambling choices are never guaranteed success, you can bet that the balance of the day will be an enjoyable experience.

That bet is safe because the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s organisation of the race day, their meticulous attention to detail behind the scenes and their ever helpful staff’s friendly interaction up front with their customers is every bit a Group 1 performance as anything the equine stars, trainers and riders produce on the track.

It is a marriage, as the saying goes, made in heaven ... a near perfect blend of all you are looking for all of the attributes of a truly world class event. That is why there is certainly no mystery as to why the Longines Hong Kong International Races keeps growing in stature.

I stopped at ‘near perfect’ because the mantra of Longines and the Hong Kong Jockey Club is never to rest on their laurels.

While there is no apparent weakness in the makeup of the Longines Hong Kong International Races setup, you can rest assured that Longines and the Hong Kong Jockey Club will be studying feedback and doing a general debrief, working hard to find a way to make next year’s edition better than it has ever been before ... for everybody from the general customers to the most important VIP guest.

That is why they set the lead in what they do and why their efforts are so difficult to surpass.

So, make a note to treat yourself to a visit to the next Longines Hong Kong International Races race-day next December.

You will not be disappointed!