A Hong Kong Racing Primer

HONG KONG — American racing fans–and also those in the UK–have become more exposed to the racing product in Hong Kong recently and now have the ability to bet into massive pools which can swell to better than $10 to $12 to even $15 million (yes, US dollars) or more for a single race. But racing in Hong Kong remains an unknown and intimidating commodity to many, so with your blessing, allow me to inform and educate.

A Tale of Two Tracks…
The 'major league' racing in Hong Kong takes place at Sha Tin Racecourse in the New Territories, built in 1978 and home to nearly all of the most important races that take place in the jurisdiction. Races over 1000 meters are held down the straight course, while 1200- to 1800-meter tests are run around a single right-handed turn. The handful of races going 10 furlongs begin right in front of the stands, while 2400-meter events begin further up the straight before hooking up with the course proper. Happy Valley Racecourse, the headquarters of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, typically hosts a single mid-week meeting, but also the occasional weekend program. The track, literally in the middle of Hong Kong Island, is as iconic a facility as there is in the world, particularly when illuminated, with skyscrapers providing a dramatic backdrop. Happy Valley is known for its tight turns and unique configuration and plays host each year to the Longines International Jockeys Championship the Wednesday prior to the Hong Kong International Races.

The Trainers and Jockeys…
It is a competitive and talented group of conditioners that call Hong Kong home, many of whom are Australian or New Zealand ex-pats, including John Moore and John Size, who will be in with live chances in Sunday's big races. Tony Cruz, who became a local legend in Hong Kong during his days as a jockey, is always near the top of the premiership as is South African Caspar Fownes, while Chris So is the surprise leader among the local trainers as of this writing. Most of the conversation of Hong Kong jockeys begins and ends with Joao Moreira, the Brazilian-born who set any number of records in Singapore and has dominated the local ranks since his arrival just over two years ago. Australian Zac Purton and former perennial champion Douglas Whyte have been left in the wake of the 'Magic Man,' but still bring up plenty of winners, while Neil Callan, Mauritian Karis Teetan and new arrival Sam Clipperton add to the depth of international talent. Kei Chiong, the only woman riding in Hong Kong, has booted home double-digit winners this year after registering an impressive 37 victories for an 11.6% strike rate in 2015/2016.

Class Structure…
With an elevation into Part I in the International Cataloguing Standards, Hong Kong now conducts 31 group races, including 11 at Group 1 level. The balance of the product, with the exception of Griffin racing, is handicap events in Classes 1 through 5, with purse money of HK$2.5 million (about US$322,000) on offer for C1 down to a minimum of HK$630,000 (about US$81,000) for C5. In broad terms, Class 1 racing equates to Listed stakes level, while Class 5 would be kin to claiming or selling races elsewhere around the world. Each horse is assigned a rating by the local handicapper; the top-rated horse in each race, regardless of class, carries a maximum of 133 pounds and spots the lower-rated horses one pound for each ratings point. Horses carry no fewer than 113 pounds. Griffin races are restricted to certain newcomers to racing and take place sporadically throughout the season.

Horse Population…
The vast majority of horses domiciled in Hong Kong are Australian- and New Zealand-bred, followed by European-bred horses. There is also a smattering of U.S-bred gallopers (most acquired after racing in Europe) and South African-bred runners. Horses imported to Hong Kong are categorized as private purchases (PP) for previously raced horses or privately purchased griffins (PPG), unraced horses brought in to the jurisdiction, many of which are acquired at public auction around the world. International sale griffins (ISG) are horses purchased by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, predominately at yearling sales in Australasia and Europe, and prepared by the Club for the Hong Kong International Sale in March.

Betting…
The minimum bet in Hong Kong is a HK$10 stake. Odds appear on track as whole numbers if greater than 10-1 and with decimals at less than 10-1. The odds quotes include the investment, so one unit is deducted to extract the true odds. For example, if a horse sits on the board at 6.5, it is available at 11-2 (6.5 minus one equals 5.5, or 11-2). On-track wagers include win and place (2nd or 3rd), quinella, quinella place (any two of the first three placed horses in any race), tierce (straight trifecta), trio (trifecta box), First 4 (1-4 in any race in any order) and the quartet (straight superfecta). Multi-race wagers include double and treble (Pick 3), with a slight twist. A double wager with the correct first leg and runner-up in the second leg returns a consolation, while trebles that include the winners of the first two races and the second or third in the closing leg are also entitled to a consolation. A six-up wager is similar to the U.S. Pick 6, but pays on six from six to finish first or second, while a bonus is paid for a ticket with all six winners. Think a jockey is especially live on a program? The Hong Kong Jockey Club also offers that sort of wager as well; the odds adjust up and down throughout the course of a program. Please note that international bettors do not have access to all pools.

A Website Like No Other…
With its vast array of information, the website maintained by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (www.hkjc.com/english/index.asp) is, without question, the most comprehensive in the world. Detailed information is available for each horse, including trackwork records, veterinary records, racetrack performance by distance, overseas form, etc. Full video replays are available for each horse, not only for its races, but also for any barrier trials it participates in as well as for daily trackwork. Race form is also available. Simply put, an indispensable resource.

Give Them A Follow…
Any number of exceptional scribes and analysts report on the racing scene in Hong Kong and each deserves a follow. For the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Pat Cummings (Twitter: @PatCummingsHK) has done an amazing job over the past two seasons in helping to bring Hong Kong racing to a broader worldwide audience through a variety of social media channels, while David Morgan (@TheMorganGrind) and Andrew Hawkins (@AndrewNJHawkins), who joined the HKJC this year after working as a sub-editor for the South China Morning Post, issue several detailed and information-filled reports multiple times a week. Brett Davis (@HKBDavis) handles racecalling duties for the Club at Sha Tin, while John Blance (@JohnBlance1) is the 'voice' of Happy Valley and is part of the broadcast team for the Sha Tin races. Jenny Chapman (@jftpaddock) provides paddock analysis and picks, while Andrew LeJeune (@LJ__andrew) is new to the team this year. The Hong Kong Jockey Club will present a live webcast of morning trackwork beginning Wednesday (Tuesday night US time), and you can expect the knowledgeable Edward Sadler (@edward_sadler) to conduct an interview or two during the broadcast. Respected journalists Alan Aitken (@chapeauxx) and Michael Cox (@KemblaCoxy) present outstanding and sometimes whimsical coverage in the SCMP. Follow the Hong Kong Jockey Club at @HKJC_Racing.

In the coming days, we will present trackside reports and a couple of features, and a Longines HKIR special edition in Saturday's TDN Europe/International. It all culminates with what should be a terrific renewal of the International Races Sunday at Sha Tin, with live coverage on TVG and across other ADW platforms and at the HKJC website. Enjoy and partake in HKIR week!