HKJC

Frankie Dettori, who is riding his final season in 2023, has been named a World Pool ambassador. The partnership will see the Italian write regular blogs and content in advance of World Pool racedays this year, beginning with the second day of the $30.35-million Saudi Cup meeting on Saturday, which features the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup, and five Group 3 contests. Dettori, who is riding 2022 Saudi Cup runner-up Country Grammer (Tonalist) in the 1800-metre Group 1, said, "I've got a lot of different places to visit on my final...

Sports Information Services (SIS) has entered into an agreement with the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) for six races on the US$31.5- million Saudi Cup race meeting hosted at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Feb. 25 to become a HKJC World Pool event. Established in 2019, The Saudi Cup race day has solidified itself on the global racing calendar with horses from 15 countries planning to participate this year. The feature race, the US$20-million G1 Saudi Cup, will showcase last year's top-two finishers in Emblem Road (Quality Road) and Country Grammar...

World Pool, the largest commingled horse racing pools created and powered by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), will expand to 25 fixtures in 2023, with some of the new additions the Lightning S. Day in Australia (Feb. 18), The Saudi Cup (Feb. 25), and Irish Derby Day (July 2). Provisional World Pool events will be hosted on the following days in 2023: 28: Met Day - Kenilworth Racecourse, South Africa 18: Black Caviar Lightning Race Day - Flemington Racecourse, Australia 25: Saudi Cup - King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh,...

The Year of the Rabbit got off to a racing start for the Hong Kong Jockey Club as its Lunar New Year meeting pulled in HK$2.06 billion (US$255 million) in bets--the biggest daily take since the city's return to Chinese rule in 1997, the South China Morning Post reported. Punters wagered across the 11 races at Sha Tin on Tuesday and, although the take was beaten by a distance by the record HK$2.54 billion gambled in June 1997, it was a healthy 10.1% increase on last year's event. "We are...

Marc Van Gestel, currently Racing New South Wales's General Manager of Integrity and Chairman of Stewards, will become the next Hong Kong Jockey Club Chief Stipendiary Steward (CSS) in January 2023, the HKJC announced on Friday. He replaces current HKJC CSS Kim Kelly, who is retiring after joining the HKJC in 2002 and became the CSS in 2009. Van Gestel began his career as a stipendiary steward in 1992, and became Racing NSW's Deputy Chairman of Stewards in 2006. He was appointed Racing NSW's Chairman of Stewards in 2016. Van...

Courtesy TDN AusNZ The popularity of Deep Field (Aus) in Hong Kong went to another level on Saturday, as a 2-year-old by the stallion was snapped up by Yue Yun Hing for HK$7.8 million (£825,803/€975,829/$993,744/A$1,400,000) at the Hong Kong International Sale. The sale, which takes place in the Sha Tin parade ring, had 17 lots realise a total of HK$71 million (£7,516,925/€8,882,549/$9,045,627/A$13,190,000) and they also included a chestnut gelding by Snitzel (Aus) out of Encosta de Lago (Aus) mare Houston Benefactor (Aus), who was snapped up by Yip Wing Kui...

Longines and the Hong Kong Jockey Club have extended their partnership another five years to 2026. The partnership, which began in 2012, sees Longines continue as the title partner and Official Timekeeper of the G1 Longines Cup, the Longines International Jockeys' Championship and the Longines Hong Kong International Races. The Longines World's Best Jockey award is also presented during the Longines HKIR. Hong Kong will also continue to be the home of the world's richest Group 1 turf races over 1200m, 1600m and 2000m when the collective prize money of...

As a well-respected industry veteran of several decades coming off an immensely successful run as an executive with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Bill Nader could likely write his own ticket for most jobs in the industry. It was recently announced that after 15 years in Hong Kong, Nader would be coming home to America and become the new president and CEO of the Thoroughbred Owners of California. Tuesday, Nader joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland as the Green Group Guest of the Week to talk about why...

Bill Nader has agreed to join the Thoroughbred Owners of California as President and Chief Executive Officer, the organization announced today. Nader's appointment will take effect in October of this year. He succeeds Greg Avioli who resigned earlier this year. Nader, 64, joins the TOC from the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), where he has held senior executive positions since 2007. Prior to that, Nader was the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the New York Racing Association, where he was employed from 1994-2007. "Given his experience both...

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges was unanimously elected President of the International Horse Sports Confederation (IHSC) at the online IHSC General Assembly on Apr. 22. The third president of the organisation that was founded in 2013, he succeeds FEI President Ingmar De Vos. Engelbrecht-Bresges, who will serve a two-year term, said, "I am very grateful to be elected President of the IHSC and must pay tribute to Ingmar, whose leadership at the helm of the Confederation has been significantly important and impactful for global horse sport. "I would also like to pay tribute...

Record total prize-money and incentives of HK$1.62 billion, approximately £158.6 million, will be offered across the 2022/23 season, the Hong Kong Jockey Club announced on Wednesday. Overall purses will be bolstered by a record single-season increase of 11.5% (HK$167.2 million) and there are also increases in prize-money across middle-distance races and a new bonus system. Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, chief executive officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said, "The last two and a half years have been among the most challenging times in Hong Kong racing history. Despite this, we have...

The International Horse Sports Confederation (IHSC) General Assembly has unanimously elected Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges as the new IHSC Vice-President. Engelbrecht-Bresges had previously served as the standing representative of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) in the IHSC General Assembly. Also the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC)'s Chief Executive Officer since 2007, Engelbrecht-Bresges is the Chair of the IFHA and the Chairman of the Asian Racing Federation (ARF). "Winfried's expertise in the horse racing industry has been of great value to the work of the IHSC, as is his commitment to...