ENGLISH TEXTS
The involvement of new owners from mainland China is becoming crucial On Sunday , December 8 th , € 194 million was wagered on the Longines International Races ( including € 53.5 million from abroad ). This is twice the result of an Arc de Triomphe Sunday , including international commingling . The previous Sunday , wagering had already reached € 183.7 million . The Hong Kong Jockey Club holds 88 meetings a year ( the equivalent of the Vincennes winter meeting ) and generates the turnover of 150 Prix de l ’ Arc de Triomphe ... What is certain , however , is that following the dip in domestic turnover caused by Covid and the vagaries of life under Beijing ’ s umbrella , this share is now on the rise again . The involvement of young owners from the mainland is also vital . The Hong Kong Jockey Club recruits them through a network of clubs built on Chinese territory to attract new investors , likely to advantageously replenish the ranks of Hong Kong owners , whose strength is weakening in proportion to the interest in racing of their heirs . And investment is needed to buy some of the best horses in the world ! Sport and economy are therefore the two axes , judiciously intertwined , around which the Hong Kong Jockey Club is working to build its future . It has many advantages over our entrenched racing authorities , linked to its structure , the history that has shaped it , its competent , independent and sustainable management , and its now very advantageous geographical location .
Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges has been the driving force behind this transformation . However , the course of events is not that of a long , calm river . While the Club currently enjoys a de facto monopoly on betting in Hong Kong , it is subject to increasingly fierce competition from illegal bookmakers , mostly offshore . It is constrained by this environment , which forces it to take the greatest account of its customers , without exceeding an invisible and shifting , but certainly very real , red line , drawn by an authority that is not always accommodating . Does that remind you of anything ? The Club ’ s structure and power are indeed directly subject , as in France , to the authority of the state . Its wealth is generously shared with the community through its participation in major urban planning and infrastructure projects , but it is sometimes envied by local authorities . Will the Hong Kong Jockey Club retain its credibility , its autonomy , and its ability to see further , much further than the simple collection of levies generated by a monopoly , as we observe in our country ? The virtue of a system sometimes depends solely on that of those who support it . What the Fifth Republic of France has become since the 1980s is a terrible demonstration of this .
MAIN Festive day at Happy Valley , on the eve of the great Longines international meeting . © Hong Kong Jockey Club
PAGE 106 The atmosphere of the night races at Happy Valley , right in the city center , is unique in the world and a source of inspiration for all . © Hong Kong Jockey Club
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MARK NEWNHAM : A LATE BLOOMER SPRINTS OUT OF THE GATES
Mark Newnham is the new sensation amongst Hong Kong ’ s trainers . Arriving last season from Australia , where his string had already won numerous Stakes races , he finished his first season with 31 winners . Since the resumption in September , he has shifted into high gear with 20 winners in three months ( as of December 14 th , updated here ), placing him second in the local standings by number of wins . His string also boasts a 15 % win strike rate , and more importantly , a 36 % top-three finish rate - impressive scores on a circuit as competitive as Hong Kong .
Known for his meticulous and patient approach to training , Mark Newnham has worked alongside Australian racing legends such as Bart Cummings and Gai Waterhouse , both members of the Australian Racing Hall of Fame . After a stint in Europe , he returned to Australia to begin his jockey apprenticeship with Gai Waterhouse in the late 1990s . Their fruitful relationship later led Newnham to work full-time with Waterhouse , and he can claim to have played a significant role in her success . Notably , he rode the champions Pierro and Fiorente in trackwork before their respective victories in the Golden Slipper ( 2012 ) and the Melbourne Cup ( 2013 ), the two biggest races on the Australian calendar .
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