The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) reported record commingling turnover of HK$28.8 billion as the 2023/24 season concluded at Sha Tin on Sunday, with 26 countries and more than 70 partners now commingling on Hong Kong racing.
That total represented a 13.7% increase on the 2022/23 season, while overall turnover on simulcasting for the season was also up by 8.7% to HK$12.8 billion as Hong Kong continued to offer wagering on the very best of world racing through the World Pool. This year the number of World Pool races increased from 175 to 258, with the highlight being the expansion of the World Pool to Australia. World Pool turnover was up by 57.1% on last season.
In total, Hong Kong racing fans enjoyed 88 race meetings this season, including seven twilight fixtures, comprising 831 Hong Kong races and 368 overseas simulcast races. Total racing wagering turnover for the season was HK$134.7 billion–a 4.5% decrease on the 2022/23 season–with the Hong Kong market being impacted significantly by the economic downturn according to Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, chief executive officer of the HKJC.
“Under such a challenging economic situation, our overall season racing turnover is satisfactory,” Engelbrecht-Bresges summed up. “While the Club will continue to grow and expand its overseas customer base, the decline in local racing wagering turnover underlines that it must constantly engage and re-engage with Hong Kong racing fans.”
Local racing fans were treated to some outstanding action on the track during the 2023/24 season, including a thrilling battle for the Hong Kong trainers' championship between Francis Lui and Pierre Ng which went right down to the wire.
Trailing 67-66 at the start of Sunday's action at Sha Tin, Lui turned the deficit around by saddling four winners on the card to Ng's two, with the final scoreline standing at 70-69 in Lui's favour after his Patch Of Theta won the concluding race of the season.
“Finally,” Lui, 65, said of winning his first championship. “Racing is full of excitement. In the middle of the season, everybody would think Pierre–he has won so many races–that he would not be easy to catch.
“Luckily, I had a couple of three-year-olds with good quality who can win a race. It was very hard, whenever I got close with Pierre, he ran again. Like today, I thought I had good chances, but Pierre still won two races.”
Asked how he would celebrate, Lui added, “I can take a sleep first.”
On Friday, Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB})–the winner of five Group 1 races in three different jurisdictions in 2023/24–was named Hong Kong's Horse of the Year, while Zac Purton was crowned champion jockey for the seventh time following a six-timer at Sunday's season finale, taking his overall tally to 130 wins. Angus Chung won the Tony Cruz Award for the best-performed homegrown jockey with 46 wins, edging out four-time winner Vincent Ho (41).
Reflecting further on the season, Engelbrecht-Bresges said, “Our world-class racing is truly an international brand in Hong Kong. I am deeply satisfied to see the joy and pride our champion horses, jockeys and trainers bring to racing fans not just in Hong Kong but around the world.
“These achievements are only possible because of the significant investment of our owners. Collectively, these achievements are a wonderful endorsement of our strategy to develop our racing to become world class.
“In addition, we have long-term strategies to attract the best racing talent from around the world in combination with developing the best horses and the best home-grown talent. There is no better proof of this than the thrilling contest this season between Francis Lui and Pierre Ng for the trainer's title.”
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