australia - ANZ Bloodstock News

7 Hong Kong News
Monday 9 Semptember 2013 ANZ
Hong Kong News
Hong Kong Season Gets Off To A Dream Start
It was another day of records at Sha Tin racecourse
yesterday, as Hong Kong’s racing season got off to
“more than a dream start” beneath golden sunshine.
Hong Kong SAR Acting Chief Executive Carrie Lam
Cheng Yuet-ngor struck the ceremonial gong to mark the
start of the campaign, and for the second year in a row,
record-breaking turnover was matched by an all-time high
attendance for the day.
“We have enjoyed another great start to a new season
- more than a dream start,” said Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-
Bresges, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Chief Executive
Officer. “Moreover, we have had the highest turnover at a
season opening in 20 years at HK$1.032 billion, which is
11% more than a year ago.
“Last year we had the highest opening day attendance
in 20 years; this year we have surpassed that with 66,257
race fans generating a fantastic atmosphere at our two
racecourses.
“To put that into perspective, today’s crowd figure is
up more than four percent on last year and represents the
first time that our opening day crowd at Sha Tin has broken
the 60,000 mark. Compared with 2010, when we started
the Racecourse Master Plan, we have seen an opening day
attendance increase of 37%.”
Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges expressed cautious optimism
about the season ahead and thanked race fans for their
support, which he said was the “impetus for continuous
racecourse investment.” The CEO also applauded the
new innovations that have been implemented for this
season under the Club’s ongoing Racecourse Master Plan
and revealed that the latest round of developments were
the subject of “very positive feedback from members and
race fans.”
The day’s sport saw Zac Purton team up with Cerise
Cherry (Goldkeeper) to take the feature race, the Class 1
HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup. The Australian was notching
his second successive win in the 1200 metre contest having
arrived late and fast atop Supreme Win (Fastnet Rock)
to deny the wilting Cerise Cherry by a short-head in last
season’s race.
Having been beaten 12 months ago, trainer Derek
Cruz turned to Purton this time and last season’s jockeys’
premiership runner-up made no mistake. After stalking in
sixth position, Purton angled out the eight-year-old at the
top of the stretch and ran home strongly to score by three
quarters of a length in a time of 1:08.48s. The Tony-Cruz-
Cerise Cherry
HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB
trained Best Eleven (Charge Forward) was second, a length
and a quarter ahead of race favourite, Destined For Glory
(Azamour), from the John Moore stable.
“We were unlucky last season, we just hit the front too
early, so I told Zac to just take a sit on him and give him
a chance. He gave a very good kick in the straight,” said
Derek Cruz of last season’s Longines Hong Kong Sprint (Gr
1, 1200m) runner-up.
“He ran very well last year and I’ll get him freshened up
again for those big races – he can run the same race again.
I just need to keep him running fresh and keep away from
running him in too many races at a time because he can
taper off.”
New boy Karis Teetan got his Hong Kong career off to the
best possible start. The Mauritian-born light-weight looked
strong in the finish as he drove the David Ferraris-trained
Amazing Always (Perfectly Ready) to a half-length victory in
the first race of the season, the Class 5 Tim Mei Handicap.
Tony Cruz was also on fire as the trainer registered a
first-race treble with Roman Legend (Holy Roman Emperor),
Majestic Anthem (Dubawi) and Beauty Sparkle (Snippetson)
– the last two were partnered by Matthew Chadwick. Zac
Purton also made it a double in the last race on Fair
Trade (Danewin).
Last season’s champion apprentice Dicky Lui notched
a brace too, while Champion jockey Douglas Whyte kicked
off with a win on the well-supported Clement Spirit (Flying
Spur). Not to be left out, Dennis Yip ensured all of last year’s
champions made a good start as the champion trainer took
the ninth race with Jun Gong (Spinning World).
ADVERTISING alice@anzbloodstocknews.com
EDITORIAL editor@anzbloodstocknews.com