Jockey Club boss Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges hails ‘amazing season' after turnover increase
Punters wagered a total of HK$138.85 billion during the campaign, with a 3 per cent increase returning the city to the black in terms of turnover figures after a 4.5 per cent decrease last season that ended a run of three consecutive seasons of record turnover.
Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges highlighted the contribution to an uptick in mainland and overseas tourists made to a big year for Hong Kong racing, also pointing to the impact of Ka Ying Rising, Romantic Warrior and Voyage Bubble's heroics during the season.
'It's been an amazing season, with outstanding performances by top horses that have truly captured the imagination of fans not just in Hong Kong but around the world,' said Engelbrecht-Bresges.
'Since the policy address of HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee [Ka-chiu], we have been able to attract even more mainland and overseas tourists, who have come to our racecourses in record numbers to experience our city's signature sport.
'These achievements strengthen the position of Hong Kong racing as a world-class sport and entertainment experience.'
Strong commingling turnover was another factor in renewed wagering growth, with a record commingling turnover of HK$31.76 billion – a 10.1 per cent increase on last season.
A notable highlight came at the Chinese New Year Raceday in January, with commingling turnover increasing by 23.7 per cent to HK$510.4 million, setting a record in the process and surpassing HK$500 million for the first time.
Simulcast racing was another boon, with turnover on simulcasting (including World Pool commingling) up by 2.3 per cent to HK$13.11 billion. The maximum number of simulcast days will be increased from 37 to 53 in 2025-26 and to 70 in 2026-27.
Romantic Warrior flew the flag for Hong Kong racing on the international stage, winning the Group One Jebel Hatta (1,800m) at Meydan, while also finishing a close second in both the Group One Saudi Cup (1,800m) and the Group One Dubai Turf (1,800m).
At home, Ka Ying Rising's invincible season saw him land the Hong Kong Speed Series bonus of HK$5 million along with four Group Ones, while Voyage Bubble became the first horse since River Verdon to win the Triple Crown.
'Hong Kong racing is truly world class and I am immensely proud of the performances of our champion horses, jockeys and trainers,' said Engelbrecht-Bresges.
'The achievements of amazing horses such as Ka Ying Rising, Romantic Warrior and Voyage Bubble reflect the expertise, dedication and passion of our trainers and jockeys as well as the strong commitment of our owners, who continue to make significant investments to secure the best available equine talent.'
The success of Conghua racecourse has also been hailed by Engelbrecht-Bresges, with an increase of 17.7 per cent in horses stabled at the track and a 24.3 per cent increase on winners hailing from the mainland venue.
Total racecourse attendance this season was over 1.7 million, including a record 195,786 mainland tourists – a 110 per cent increase on the 93,000 mainland tourists from last campaign.
The new season will kick off on September 7 at Sha Tin, while the Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) will be staged on December 14.
There will be record prize money on offer at next season's HKIR and Champions Day events, with HK$208 million being offered.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTHK
5 minutes ago
- RTHK
Albanese visit elevated Sino-Australia ties: chamber
Albanese visit elevated Sino-Australia ties: chamber President Xi Jinping hosted Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Great Hall of the People last week. Photo: Xinhua Jason Chang speaking to Chloe Feng A senior representative of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong said that the week-long China visit by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese marked a "strategic shift" in bilateral ties for both countries. In a high-profile tour, Albanese visited Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu over six days earlier this month, in what's dubbed as "panda diplomacy" to woo business opportunities and investment from the mainland. President Xi Jinping also hailed the visit as a "reset" of ties between the two nations, after relations deteriorated following a call by Albanese's predecessor, Scott Morrison, to launch an independent investigation into the causes of the Covic pandemic. But in an interview with RTHK, Jason Chang, the chamber's deputy chair, said that the two countries were now on the track to elevate their relations to the next stage. "In my opinion, the trip was one of the most significant in the Australia-China bilateral history, as it's the first one that's occurred since the period of geopolitical uncertainty, after the stabilising of the two countries' relations," Chang said. He added Albanese's second visit to China, following his first in 2023, boosted confidence among businesses. "Despite the geopolitical uncertainties, China, in fact, remained Australia's largest trading partner, and for the past 16 years, the China market [to Australia] is larger than that of Japan, South Korea, the US, and India, combined. "There aren't many countries in the world that has such a large proportion of its trade and export with a single country," said Chang, who's also the co-founder and chief executive of EMR Capital. The trade veteran, whose company focuses on natural resources, critical minerals and energy transition, also noted while the partnership in clean energy-related technologies came "naturally given their complementary economics", the two sides could also look into other areas, such as education and sports. "China has leading-edge technology in many segments and has invested significantly, in EVs, energy storage technology over the last few decades. "At the same time, Australia has significant IPs and skills in all of these areas, including resources, energy, and education. "Significant innovation is happening in China, there's some groundbreaking technologies, as we all know, and they have so much to offer to students from Australia and around the world," he said. Looking ahead, Chang expected the two sides to continue to manage differences, while enhancing bilateral trade and investment appetite against the backdrop of US tariff threats.
South China Morning Post
5 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
Why China is surging ahead of Trump's America in green energy race
As US-China tensions continue, one contrast stands out sharply between the big power rivals – their approach to energy and climate issues. Advertisement Even as the Trump administration cripples green energy endeavours with executive orders and the ' Big Beautiful Bill ', China is building on its title as the world's largest renewable energy investor. According to the State Grid Energy Research Institute, China is expected to bolster its national power grid by a record 500 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity this year. The energy debate unfolds with the rapidly warming world needing more clean energy than ever, especially as advancing technology drives up demand. Artificial intelligence (AI) and other innovative technologies need substantial amounts of electricity to operate, as they rely heavily on data centres and powerful computing infrastructure. Countries worldwide are trying to increase energy production as they invest in new data centres that must be kept running round the clock, with the US and China leading the field. With technology rivalry a central driver of the broader US-China tensions, Beijing has forged ahead with renewable energy goals and boosted related investment in its pursuit of a global tech lead. 01:36 China's largest photothermal power facility drives development of new form of energy China's largest photothermal power facility drives development of new form of energy In contrast, the Trump administration is cancelling tax credits for what it calls 'unreliable 'green' energy sources like wind and solar' that 'compromise America's electric grid'.
South China Morning Post
5 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong stocks extend from 3-year high on China growth optimism
Hong Kong stocks kicked off the week's trading on a strong note on Monday, with the benchmark extending the gain from a three-year high on Friday as optimism about the resilience of China's growth and the risk-on mood in global stocks boosted sentiment. The Hang Seng Index rose 0.3 per cent to 24,899.49 as of 10.04am local time, heading for the highest close since January 21, 2022. The Hang Seng Tech Index gained 0.4 per cent. The city's financial markets opened for trading despite the aftermath of Typhoon Wipha on Sunday, which triggered the highest warning signal, injured dozens of people and halted flights. On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index climbed 0.3 per cent, and the Shanghai Composite Index added 0.4 per cent. Meituan rallied 4.2 per cent to HK$132.70, and Alibaba Group Holding gained 2.2 per cent to HK$118.30. PetroChina advanced 3.1 per cent to HK$4.48, and Sinopec added 3.2 per cent to HK$4.47. Investors moved on from uncertainty over tariff talks between the US and its global trading partners, as China reported faster-than-expected 5.3 per cent economic growth in the second quarter, aligning with its full-year growth target of around 5 per cent. US stocks closed at record highs last week, as the Goldilocks scenario took hold after official data showed robust retail sales and cooling inflation. China's central bank left the one-year and five-year prime loan rates unchanged for this month, indicating the economic recovery could still have legs.
