Sha Tin was decked in red on Thursday as nearly 30,000 racegoers, including more than 9,300 tourists, packed the racecourse for the National Day Raceday, marking the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
With the meeting falling during the mainland's Golden Week holiday, visitors from across the border made up most of the tourist crowd. Of the 9,321 tourists through the gates, 8,607 came from the mainland and 714 from overseas. The 11-race card generated more than HK$1.6 billion in betting turnover.
Before racing began, China's Three Tenors Dai Yuqiang, Warren Mok and Wei Song made their first joint appearance at Sha Tin. They performed a selection of patriotic classics in the parade ring and led the crowd in the national anthem, accompanied by the Hong Kong Police Band. A Flagpole Acrobatics performance, recognized as part of China's National Intangible Cultural Heritage, by the Zhongfan Acrobatics team added to the spectacle.
Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki, Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in the HKSAR Hua You and other guests officiated the opening ceremony of the National Day Raceday.
Chan later wrote on social media that the galloping horses and the cheering crowd let him feel the festive spirit and vitality of the city. He also praised the Hong Kong Jockey Club for weaving traditional culture and music into the ceremony.
For Li, a tourist from Beijing on a three-day trip with her boyfriend, the racecourse was a planned stop rather than a detour.
"From the moment we stepped out of the MTR station, we saw the racecourse filled with national and regional flags," she said. "The National Day atmosphere is incredibly strong. We feel this is one of the most festive places in the country, comparable to Tiananmen Square."
It was Li's first day at the races, and she said seeing the horses gallop past up close was thrilling.
On the track, the day's feature went to Colourful King, who won the Group 3 National Day Cup for trainer David Eustace and jockey Zac Purton. Chan presented the cup to owner Gan Wee Sean.
