Hong Kong racing's 'turf world championships' showpiece on December 9 will see an increase in stake money with the transition to its new sponsor, Longines.
The Swiss watchmaker takes over from Cathay Pacific, the event partner for the past eight years, and the 2012 Hong Kong International Races will carry an additional HK$4 million in prize money across the four Group One events.
The Hong Kong Mile will remain the richest mile in the world on turf, despite remaining unchanged at HK$20 million in stakes, but the Hong Kong Cup rises HK$2 million to HK$22 million, and the Vase and Sprint rise HK$1 million each to HK$15 million.
Additionally, the Longines name will be appended to the traditional international lead-up event, the Group Two Jockey Club Cup (2,000m) on November 18, for which the prize money remains at HK$3 million. Yesterday's announcement did not include the other two international lead-ups in November, the Jockey Club Sprint and Jockey Club Mile, both formerly sponsored like the Jockey Club Cup by Cathay.
In percentage terms, the biggest increase from the Longines sponsorship will be for the International Jockeys' Championship, to be staged at Happy Valley on Wednesday, December 5 and now worth HK$800,000 in total prizes shared across the jockeys finishing first, second and third. Last year, the event offered prize money for the first and second finishers only, at HK$200,000 and HK$100,000.
Although the prize money increases themselves are modest, the total prize money of HK$72 million across the four feature events - up HK$16 million in the past 10 years - will see the meeting hold its place as the third-richest day's racing in the world, behind only the Dubai World Cup and Breeders' Cup.
