Hong Kong packages three major stakes for April card

The Hong Kong Jockey Club on Tuesday announced the creation of a Group 1 stakes triple-header on April 29 next year.

The HKJC has combined on one card the Champions Mile over 1,600 meters, the Chairman’s Sprint Prize over 1,200 meters, and the Queen Elizabeth II Cup over 2,000 meters. The Champions Mile and the Chairman’s Sprint Prize were moved one week to create the program.

All three races got purse increases for the 2018 edition. The QE II is worth $3.075 million, the Champion’s Mile $2.3 million, and the Chairman’s Sprint Prize $2.05 million.

“This adjustment to the schedule unifies these three world-class features … so creating Hong Kong’s own spring festival,” Anthony Kelly, the HKJC’s executive director of racing business and operations, said in a press release. “These moves will create one of the most lucrative days of racing in Asia and offer overseas connections a single date at which to target their horses.”

Free nominations to the races close March 19. The HKJC incentivizes international participation by paying shipping costs for horses selected to race in addition to travel and accommodation for their connections.