WHEN THE NUMBERS ADD UP TO SOMETHING SPECIAL

By Darren Winningham | Monday, December 11, 2023

LONGINES HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL RACES HAS COME TO END FOR 2023

The LONGINES Hong Kong International 2023 racing came to a histrionic close at Sha Tin on Sunday with three hot favourites from Hong Kong winning three of the four Group 1 races to top off an amazing week of world class racing featuring world class jockeys, world class horses and world class trainers.

In the battle between Hong Kong and the World, one French horse, Junko, kept the Europeans on the scoreboard when winning the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (Group 1).

THE NUMBERS FOR 2023

234 horses competed in 19 races at Happy Valley and Sha Tin, with an average field size of 12 at Happy Valley and 12.6 at Sha Tin.

HK$145.06 million prize money paid out over the two days – truly extraordinary!

Ten different trainers shared in the prize money – a great display of the equality and the competitive nature of the racing and the stables in Hong Kong. I would note that the Chinese home-grown trainers are dominating, winning 14 races out of 19. The standout training efforts were Danny Shum with four wins across the two days and Pierre Ng and Ricky Yiu with three wins apiece.

13 different jockeys won races over the two days – the highlight would have to be the efforts of Vincent Ho, winning the LONGINES International Jockeys Championship (IJC) and then taking out the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile aboard Golden Sixty – he claimed HK$20.48 million in stakes money over the two days.

James McDonald was the leading jockey - the winning rides totalling HK$26.652 million in prize money, while Zac Purton won four races across the LONGINES Hong Kong International race program over the two days, amassing HK$17.969 million in stakes.

Danny Shum was the leading trainer with 4 winners – claiming HK23.052 million in winning prize money. Shum won the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (Group 1) with Romantic Warrior.

Francis Lui trained two winners, including the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (Group 1) with Golden Sixty collecting HK$19.297 million in winning prize money.

THE CROWDS

In 2022 the HKJC was happy to see 45,305 at the track. Not to the huge numbers pre COVID periods, however, the largest crowd at the HKJC since the insidious disease struck the world.

In 2023 the HKJC was over the moon with 65,252 - the largest crowd since 2019.

The HKJC CEO Mr. Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresge was thrilled with the attendance telling the media, “We were proud of what we were able to achieve during the dark days of the pandemic. Today showed that in December Hong Kong is the place to be and that the eyes of the racing world turn to us. I’m just so proud that we were able to show the world that Hong Kong is Asia’s world city, and we were able to give our visitors a fantastic week.”

THE BETTING

LONGINES Hong Kong International Race Day 2023 broke all records in betting turnover with HK$1.67 billion being wagered on the meeting. Combined with the HK$429.6 million invested in the commingled pools it amassed HK$2.099 billion. Yes, I did say billion!

THE HIGHLIGHTS

For me the highlights of the HKIR must be the return to the racetrack of the Hong Kong champion Golden Sixty who won the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (Group 1) after a 224-day spell and drawing barrier 14 in the race. It was a blistering run that slayed the opposition and at the same time created more Hong Kong racing records.

The second highlight must be the gut busting effort to hold on and win the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup by Romantic Warrior ridden by the 2022 LONGINES World’s Best Jockey – James McDonald. The win was heart stopping to take out Hong Kong’s richest race offering HK$36 million in prize money – or which HK$20.16 million goes to the winner.

I have already mentioned Vincent Ho’s historic achievements as a highlight in the riding ranks but I must add a special mention of Australian Rachel King who finished third in the LONGINES International Jockeys Championship at Happy Valley on the opening night of the Carnival. She saluted on her first ride at Happy Valley and managed a third in her fourth ride. This outstanding effort against a group of world class riders saw her finish third to the eventual winner Vincent Ho and second placed Zac Purton. In the process she took home HK$150,000 and a share of the HK$864,360 stakes money she accumulated in her rides.

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