Editorial | Record post-Covid horse race attendance kicks off an auspicious year
The ‘fantastic’ atmosphere at the ‘Year of the Horse’ race meeting captured the spirit of an agile city undergoing a sound recovery
Thoroughbreds charging down the straight as the crowd roared completed a symbolic spectacle of energy and optimism, in keeping with the traditional embodiment in the horse of boldness, progress and endurance. A colourful festive air including live performances added to what Hong Kong Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges described as a “fantastic” atmosphere.
Just as the Lunar New Year meeting is no ordinary race day, the Jockey Club is more than a monopoly horse-race betting operator. As a non-profit, it is the city’s largest taxpayer and unrivalled benefactor, distributing billions to charitable and community causes, as well as promoting equestrian sports. Horse racing is also a unique lifestyle under “one country, two systems”, as promised by then paramount leader Deng Xiaoping during the 1980s – a factor in its attraction to mainlanders and in the Jockey Club’s adoption of the Year of the Horse as a special tourist attraction theme.
The Lunar New Year race meeting capped three days of celebrations including the colourful float parade and the spectacular fireworks display. The big turnout at Sha Tin cushioned increasing outbound holiday travel compared with inbound trips. This lends weight to warnings by Jockey Club leaders that utilising new technology, engaging with younger fans and better promotion of racing are crucial to the sport’s future, amid tough competition from the illegal betting market.
In his new year message, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu urged the city to move with the “agility and steadiness” evocative of the horse. The race meeting captured that spirit. Tourists mingled with locals, mainland visitors added to the buzz, and the city projected confidence through a sport nurtured by the Jockey Club since 1884.