Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges

The government of Japan conferred The Order of the Rising Sun, gold rays with neck ribbon, on the Hong Kong Jockey Club's CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges on Apr. 29, the HKJC announced on Tuesday. He received the award in recognition for his contributions in promoting the international development of Japanese horse racing and thoroughbred breeding. The Order of the Rising Sun dates back to 1875 and is awarded to people who have rendered meritorious service to Japan. Engelbrecht-Bresges said, "I would like to dedicate this decoration to the International Federation of...

Despite rainfall in excess of 250 millimetres, or nearly 10 inches, during the week, Sunday's FWD Champions Day meeting came off without a hitch, as local horses took home the lion's share of the HK$72 million on offer. "They did an extraordinary job, with these types of weather conditions, the ground was extremely fair and it enabled all the horses to participate," HKJC CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said of the track maintenance team. "Nobody could believe that with over 250mm of rain how well our track performed and provided fair going...

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges has been at the helm of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) since 2007, presiding over a significant expansion of the Asian racing scene. Emmanuel Roussel received an update from the CEO during last weekend's Hong Kong International meeting, with topics including the development of racing at Conghua on the Chinese mainland, and the potential for the HKJC to establish breeding bases in Europe and Australia to boost its supply of Thoroughbreds. Emmanuel Roussel: The international week is always a great event, so close to the festive season....

Officials at the Hong Kong Jockey Club could offer their devoted fans only limited access to the Longines Hong Kong International Races meeting from 2020 to 2022, a necessity attributable to the Coronavirus outbreak in March 2020, and while the attendance restrictions were gradually eased over the next few years, there were certain parameters and restrictions in place to ensure the show would go on. With things more or less back to normal in the SAR, the patrons--a reported 65,252 of them--poured through the Sha Tin turnstiles Sunday afternoon to...

The 57th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities, focused this year on safeguarding equine welfare and exploring shifts in societal expectations and the sport's response around the world, took place on Oct. 2 at Saint-Cloud racetrack in Paris. Organised by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), the day-long conference emphasized horse racing in a changing society, safeguarding equine welfare and explore shifts in societal expectations and the racing industry's response around the world. "Today we continued what has been a chief mission throughout the life of the Federation: equine welfare,"...

Prize money for the Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) will be worth a record HK$118 million in 2023 and will again host the world's richest Group 1 turf races over 1200m, 1600m and 2000m, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) announced on Monday. The G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup received a 5.9% increase to HK$36 million, the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) has been boosted by 8.3% to HK$26 million, the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile (1600m) will grow by 6.7% to HK$32 million and the G1 Longines...

Following the news that the domestic prize-money in Hong Kong will increase by 8% during the 2023/24 season, the 2024 FWD Champions Day Group 1 prize-money will also rise to a combined HK$72 million, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) announced on Thursday. The 2000-metre G1 FWD QEII Cup will be run for a purse of HK$28 million (£2,863,265/€3,240,543/$3,566,929) (+12%), making it the richest 2000-metre turf race in the world. The 1200-metre G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize and the 1600-metre G1 FWD Champions Mile will each hold a purse of HK$22...

Asian Racing Federation Chairman Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges was re-elected to another term by the ARF at its Executive Council Meeting in Melbourne on Feb. 14, during the 39th Asian Racing Conference (ARC). Vice-Chairman Masayuki Goto will also serve in the same capacity once again. The pair of appointments will run until the conclusion of the next ARC next year. "I would like to thank the members of the Executive Council who have entrusted me to lead the Federation," said Engelbrecht-Bresges. "With their great support, I look forward to continue working with...

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...

The 39th Asian Racing Conference Business Programme was revealed on Friday. Set for Wednesday, Feb. 15, the ARC Business Programme will begin with "The Landscape", a scene-setting session that will explore the changing landscape of sport. ARF Chairman Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, also CEO of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, will share his vision for the future of global racing and the opportunities and the barriers that line that path to that future. Other speakers include Masayuki Goto, Vice-Chairman of ARF and President and CEO of the Japan Racing Association, British Horseracing...

The in-person 2022 Longines World Racing Awards will be held at Banqueting House in London, England on Jan. 17, 2023, the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) announced on Friday. The 10th edition of the ceremony will honour the highest-rated horses in the 2022 Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings as well as the Longines World's Best Horse Race. Connections of the winners will receive Longines timepieces. The Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings are established by international handicappers according to the performance of the horses in top races. The highest-rated race...

Bill Nader was named President and CEO of the Thoroughbred Owners of California this past June. He worked as a senior executive at the Hong Kong Jockey Club from 2007 until then, and was formerly the Senior Vice President and COO of the New York Racing Association. He began his career at Rockingham Park in his native Salem, New Hampshire in 1979. Most exciting race you watched this year that wasn't Flightline? Jockey Club Mile on Nov. 20 when Golden Sixty ran down California Spangle with a closing quarter in...