The Hong Kong racing season ended Sunday, with the 83 race meetings generating total turnover of HK$106.14 billion, the second-highest ever recorded behind the 2015 figure of HK$107.92 billion. A 45,783-strong crowd–a four-year high for the season finale–turned out to witness the final card of the 2015-2016 season, with eyes already focused on the next racing year, which will feature 88 race meetings.
“A year ago, despite having just secured record turnover figures, we talked about the season ahead being one of resilience due to the slowing down of the Hong Kong economy, that this naturally would have an impact on our financials,” said the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges. “The total gross margin, which is what we have as a Club to run our operation, was HK$4.458 billion, which is only down by 1%–so in the overall context this is an extremely good result–and from April onwards we had a very positive trend, so this leaves us cautiously optimistic for next season.”
Engelbrecht-Bresges continued, “Here we are, one decade on, and although we forecast a dip of about 3% from last year's high, we have finished this season with a total turnover down by just 1.7% on one year ago. If you look at [Sunday], it was the highest turnover ever for an 11-race card, with record turnover of HK$1.83 billion, which is an amazing figure. Also, our betting duty contribution for this year was HK$12.1 billion, whereas if you go back 10 years, that figure was HK$8 billion, so this contribution to the Hong Kong community is certainly something that we are very proud of.”
Total attendance for the season was 2.042 million, while an HKJC long-term business strategy, commingling, increased 31% to HK$74 million, an increase of HK$11 million above the previous record. In addition to five more race meetings planned for the 2016-2017 season, the HKJC will increase their overseas simulcast occasions to 23, up from 15 this season.
Trainer John Size and hoop Joao Moreira earned top trainer and jockey titles, respectively, Size his eighth and Moreira his second. There was also no lack of top-class international horses vying for Group 1 glory during the Hong Kong international meetings, with Japanese Horse of the Year Maurice (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) taking the G1 Hong Kong Mile and G1 Champions Mile; Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) scoring in the G1 Hong Kong Vase; Chautauqua (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) grabbing the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize; and A Shin Hikari (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) landing the G1 Hong Kong Cup before going on to a further Group 1 accolade in France. Locally, Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) consolidated his position as Hong Kong's latest star.
“Werther was ranked joint-third in the World's Best Racehorse Rankings after his AP QEII Cup win,” concluded Engelbrecht-Bresges, noting that Hong Kong-based horses completed the trifecta that day. “In terms of attracting quality horses from overseas, we had the strongest overseas runners for a long time, probably the strongest ever. That, in combination with the strength of our own horses will see a further international growth in the standing of our now open group races.”
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