The government had a small win and Jockey Club officials were "cautiously optimistic" on the opening day of the racing season at Sha Tin yesterday, reports the Racing Post HK (www.racing.scmp.com). It says: Attendance was down by around 2,000, but it was a sweltering day. Betting turnover more than held its own with last year's "pre-financial-crisis" figure. "Last year, opening day was probably before the crisis hit, so to have a day with that level of betting turnover -
The government had a small win and Jockey Club officials were "cautiously optimistic" on the opening day of the racing season at Sha Tin yesterday, reports the Racing Post HK (www.racing.scmp.com).
It says: Attendance was down by around 2,000, but it was a sweltering day. Betting turnover more than held its own with last year's "pre-financial-crisis" figure.
"Last year, opening day was probably before the crisis hit, so to have a day with that level of betting turnover - even up by a little over HK$2 million - is a result we are very pleased with," club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said. "As far as the crowd was concerned, I think today was as expected. Our restaurants were all booked out, and those people came. I think the hot weather was a big turn off and to get 49,000 people to come out in these conditions was a pretty good result. The turnover showed that those people who did stay away took advantage of our convenient betting channels instead."
The club's share of the HK$833 million turnover yesterday was the same as last year, at HK$38 million. However, the government's take in betting duty was up slightly - from HK$100 million on opening day last year to HK$102 million.
"The sporting spectacle of the racing was very good, the atmosphere was good and I'm cautiously optimistic about the season before us," Engelbrecht-Bresges said. "With our five extra meetings this season, I am anticipating an increase of around 3 per cent in our full season turnover and this is a pleasing start."
Two of the trainers who regularly feature on the first day of the season, John Moore and Tony Cruz, carved up six of the 10 races between them, but it was Almond Lee Yee-tat who received the afternoon's trophy from Donald Tsang Yam-kuen after Nightlign upstaged the top stables in a thrilling three-way finish to take the HKSAR Chief Executive's Cup. The day kicked off with a lion dance featuring 125 "lions" - symbolic of the 125-year anniversary being celebrated by the Jockey Club this year.