Roaring splurge at races

Carine Chow and Sophie Hui

Punters pumped a record HK$1.86 billion in bets in yesterday's Lunar New Year race meeting despite people not being allowed to enter the racecourse amid the fifth Covid wave.

This year's turnover was up 1 percent, or HK$20 million, from last year's Lunar New Year turnover of HK$1.84 billion.

But there were 11 races - one more than last year - behind closed doors at Sha Tin.

The Jockey Club had announced last month it had government permission to organize four meetings, including yesterday's.

So yesterday's races saw the tightest social distancing, with owners, club members, media and members of the public barred from the course.

The only people there were club officials and key staff, trainers and jockeys, licensed personnel and people whose roles were essential. And there were no dragon or lion dance performances.

Punters could only watch races on television or on mobile phones or computers and bets had to be placed via internet or phone.

Delivering new year greetings online, Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said: "The Hong Kong Jockey Club will continue to stand strong together with you to achieve a new year filled with roaring success."

This year also marked the third year in a row of holding the Lunar New Year meeting behind closed doors.

But some 8,200 visitors who had booked in advance were allowed into the Sha Tin course to watch the races in 2020.

And in the Year of the Ox meeting last year the Sha Tin track saw 609 people admitted because owners of horses were allowed in along with a guest.

At the other end of the scale, the most crowded Lunar New Year meeting was in 2013 when more than 111,900 people watched.

As for the racing yesterday, Cheerful Days snared the big prize thanks to him being well prepared by trainer Francis Lui Kin-wai and ridden smartly by jockey Alexis Badel in the Class 1 Chinese New Year Cup Handicap over 1,400 meters.

"Great win," Badel said. "We knew he was much improved. He's been very consistent in Happy Valley and we came back to a shorter trip from where he's been winning as well. So it was a great challenge.

"Bottom weight helped the horse and he fought really hard over the line. It was a solid win. He's a nice horse. I don't see any reason why he'll not keep improving."