HONG KONG IS OPENING UP FOR BUSINESS – HAVE YOU BOOKED YOUR NEXT RACING HOLIDAY YET?
By Darren Winningham | Thursday, December 15, 2022
Hong Kong is gradually opening up for business and hopefully, in the coming months, restrictions will be further minimised for tourists coming into Hong Kong ... so there is no better time to contemplate, plan and then book a racing holiday to see some top class feature races in Hong Kong.
If you missed the 2022 LONGINES Hong Kong International races, which is now in the record books, and you are yearning to experience some Hong Kong racing and you cannot wait until December 2023 for the next edition of the LONGINES Hong Kong International race day, I would suggest that you consider coming to the 2023 FWD Champions Day to be held at Sha Tin on Sunday 30 April.
It features some amazing racing which will include:
The FWD QEII Cup (Group 1) - HK$25 million.
The FWD Champions Mile (Group 1) – HK $20 million
The Chairmans Sprint Prize (Group 1) – HK $20 million
If you can make the trip, it would be silly not to come early and experience the thrill of night racing at Happy Valley on the Wednesday night prior to the FWD Champions Day meeting ... or the week after.
Make a real holiday of it and explore the wonderful features of Hong Kong.
_______________________________________________________________________
I sounded out the Goves clan ... a fanatical racing family who reside in Brisbane ... to find out their thoughts on the subject ... and it appears they have already commenced planning their trip to Sha Tin in April with Andrew Goves saying, “I brought the family to Hong Kong many years ago. It was our first family trip away – the plan was to send the kids and wife to Disneyland whilst I snuck off to the races – but I came in late July early August and the HKJC was not racing!”
Andrew said that he is due for holidays in April so he is planning on a trip with the family for the second time – and that the highlight will be going to the races at Happy Valley and Sha Tin!
“Look at Happy Valley race-track. It is tight racing. It is exciting – Wednesday night in the middle of Hong Kong, in the city – it looks fantastic. Taking the family to Happy Valley and Sha Tin would be an amazing experience”.
“I want to go back and experience the Hong Kong culture and the lifestyle. Last time we were in Hong Kong we spent a lot of time eating out and sightseeing during the day. The culture was so good – have breakfast around ten o’clock, then lunch early afternoon and then sit down around 9pm to eat dinner”
“For my family and I at the time we were inexperienced travellers – it was our first overseas trip as a family. The benefit for us it was a good English-speaking country – we found the transport systems easy to navigate – we never had a problem on a train, a taxi or ordering a meal.
_______________________________________________________________________
Meanwhile Andrew’s son, James - who has been an avid racegoer since the age of five and now aged just fourteen ... he is often seen at the tracks in Southeast Queensland - is so excited that he can go to Hong Kong to, in his own words, “to meet and see the king, the legend Zac Purton. My goal would be to get a photo with him and get him to sign a cap for me”.
I am certain if James gets there, Zac will make his dream come true!
James went on to say that he watches the Sha Tin races most Sunday afternoons and loves listening to the horse appraisals of “Jenny” in the mounting yard. Of course, he is referring to Jenny Chapman who works in the paddock and provides expert opinion on the horses as they parade in the mounting yard each meeting as Sha Tin and Happy Valley.
“I would love to meet Jenny,” said James. “She is the best tipster ever – I would love to just stand near her and watch her do her job – she is so good at watch she does.”
“I would just love to see the Sha Tin racetrack,” James added.
I asked him why? The response left me with nothing!
“Well, WINNO, you come home on Sunday after being out and you turn on the Sha Tin races – it is like my lullaby for me before I go to bed and sleep and prepare for school the next day”.
OK!
Finally, James would love to mingle amongst the huge crowds at Sha Tin and experience Hong Kong racing from trackside.
As James is a frequent reader of the HorseRacingOnly (HRO) website, he is also intrigued by the stories WINNO has written over the years about the local talented artist who sketches wonderful photos of the horses and has them trackside – Vieri Chan.
He asked, “do you think that Vieri will let me get some photos with him and some of his magic work?”
Again, I am certain that will happen when James arrives at Sha Tin.
_______________________________________________________________________
That’s just one family’s perspective and sense of anticipation on planning a trip to Hong Kong.
I keep on saying it every year – if you are in any way at all a racing enthusiast and have never been to Hong Kong and experienced the races at Happy Valley and Sha Tin ... then it is a must do!
The facilities and amenities are world class, regardless of the status of the meeting the racing is competitive, and the experience will live with you for a lifetime.
So, here lies the challenge – ask yourself, are you prepared to book that flight and hotel and come to Hong Kong and experience a wonderful culture, friendly people and enjoy a (racing) holiday of a lifetime?
If you are, you simple cannot do it soon enough!
More articles
|