Hong Kong opens season with increased purses
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With increased purses, two new jockeys, and a new trainer recently retired from riding, the Hong Kong racing circuit begins its 88-day 2019-20 season at Sha Tin Racecourse on Sunday.
The 10-race program is the first in Hong Kong since July 14. Hong Kong racing is held at Happy Valley Racecourse and Sha Tin.
The new season is highlighted by two annual days with international Group 1 races at Sha Tin. On Dec. 8, four Group 1 races will be run, led by the $3.56 million Hong Kong Cup, the richest race on the circuit.
The three international Group 1 races on April 26 at Sha Tin will have record purses – the $3.18 million Queen Elizabeth II Cup, the $2.54 million Champions Mile, and the $2.29 million Chairman’s Sprint Prize. Those purses have been increased from 4.2 percent to 12.5 percent from earlier this year.
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Purses for overnight races have been increased from 4.7 percent to 7.7 percent. Overall, purse distribution is expected to reach $166.3 million.
The Champions Mile in April and the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile last December were won by Beauty Generation, who was recognized as Hong Kong’s Horse of the Year for the second consecutive season. Beauty Generation, a 6-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding, had a perfect eight-race campaign in 2018-19.
Beauty Generation is trained by John Moore, the all-time leader on the circuit who will retire next summer after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70. Moore, who has 1,678 wins in Hong Kong, has won seven training titles and was second in the 2018-19 season to John Size, who has won 11 training titles.
Size, who has won the last three titles, and Moore are expected to have the dominant stables this year, along with Frankie Lor, who won two Group 1 international races last December as well as the Hong Kong Derby in March.
Former champion jockey David Whyte retired from riding in February to begin training. There are only 22 trainers based in Hong Kong, and the 47-year-old Whyte, who rode a record 1,813 winners in Hong Kong, is the only new member of the roster. He opened his stable in July and has runners in seven races Sunday.
There are 23 jockeys based in Hong Kong, and two are new members of the group – Lyle Hewitson, 21, of South Africa, and Blake Shinn, 31, of Australia. Shinn won the 2008 Melbourne Cup on Viewed.
They face a daunting task of trying to crack the top of the standings, led by Zac Purton and Joao Moreira, who have combined to win the last six riding titles. Purton has won the last two titles. He finished the 2018-19 season with 168 wins, missing Moreira’s all-time single-season record of 170 set in 2016-17.
Sunday’s main race is the $356,965 HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup at six furlongs on turf. Regency Legend, undefeated in three starts in Hong Kong since arriving last year, will be favored in a field of seven. Purton rides for trainer Danny Shum.
Last year, Hong Kong’s all-sources handle reached $15.95 billion, a gain of 0.4 percent over the 2017-18 season, according to a statement from the Hong Kong Jockey Club released in July.