Hong Kong racing triumphs on world stage

Cheers and excitement filled Sha Tin Racecourse once again on Sunday as The Hong Kong Jockey Club staged a spectacular renewal of its annual LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR). More than 65,000 racegoers – the largest attendance since 2019 – turned out to watch the world-class horse-racing showcase and did not leave disappointed.

This year’s HKIR attracted a strong contingent of overseas horses from Japan, France, Ireland, Singapore and the UK. The elite raiders challenged Hong Kong’s finest runners in four Group One races, battling for glory and total prize money of HK$118 million.

The home team achieved exceptional results, sweeping three of the four feature races. Romantic Warrior successfully defended his title in the Hong Kong Cup, the city’s richest race, while Lucky Sweynesse, the world’s highest-rated sprinter, claimed the Hong Kong Sprint. All eyes were on Golden Sixty when the three-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year showcased his strength by overcoming the widest of 14 barriers to capture his third Hong Kong Mile after a record 224-day break. Junko, representing France, took out the Hong Kong Vase and gave renowned trainer Andre Fabre a third victory in the race.

The Club’s Chief Executive Officer, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, said it was one of the best – if not the best – days of racing Hong Kong has seen. “It has shown today and the whole week that Hong Kong is back on the global stage and that Hong Kong racing is one of the global racing products which I feel as a city we should be proud of,” he said.  

The HKIR extravaganza followed last Wednesday’s action-packed LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship, where Vincent Ho became the first home-grown jockey to land the coveted title in a competition against 11 other top international and local riders. 

Racing plays a unique role in bringing our community together and fostering a sense of pride. The HKIR successfully highlighted Hong Kong’s vibrant racing culture to the world and demonstrated the Club’s competence in delivering high-quality racing and entertainment.

(sponsored feature)