Cathay Pacific International Races 國泰航空香港國際賽

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I don't usually get the chance to go to the track to see live racing, except the once a year CXIR day, when there are many unknown horses and jockeys congregate for the big day. Our probability model does not work with these unknown horses and jockeys.

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A Day At The Races (12 Dec 2004)

Probably the biggest day of the year for horse racing in Hong Kong, with top race horses from around the world competing for over HK$60 million in prize money. I decided to go to the Sha Tin Racecourse and take some pictures.

The first stop was the new HK$400 million parade ring. We have the biggest, grandest, and probably the most expensive parade ring in the world. And it was packed.

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A Day At The Races (12 Dec 2004)

I spent about one hour at the track watching the biggest races of the day - the 2000 meters HK$18 million purse Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup.

The picture below is the starting gate. I heard that the race was simulcasted to over 10 other countries.

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A Day At The Races (12 Dec 2004)

My fellow amateur photographers.
Or serious ametuers, judging from the equipment and their willingness to lug around the heavy stuff.

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A Day At The Races (12 Dec 2004)

Horse racing is a big deal in Hong Kong.
 
The betting turnover per race is the biggest in the world and betting tax accounted for >10% of the government's budget.

But for the people here, racing offer hopes before the result is known, and losses to be classifie under entertainment expenses.

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A Day At The Races (12 Dec 2004)

The last 20 meters. Eventually Alexander Goldrun (#13) from Ireland won by a shorthead over Bullish Luck (#8) from Hong Kong.

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Another Day at the Races (14-Dec-08)

The last time I went to the CXIR, I just got my first digital SLR camera. This time, I bought a new one - Sony A900. I was very happy at the performance of the camera and the lenses.

In the pictures are John Moore trained Inspiration winning the Hong Kong Sprint.

John Moore's son, one of the young man in the picture, went on to have a fist fight with one of the jockeys in the evening on the same day.

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Another Day at the Races (14-Dec-08)

I believe the man in this picture is Rick Dutrow, the trainer of Big Brown who won the 2008 Kentucky Derby. From media interviews and news reports, he seems to be arrogant and big-mouthed, especially after Big Brown won the first two legs of the US Triple Crown. Dutrow was disliked by many fans and medias. Big Brown ran last in the final leg.

In this picture is Dutrow's entry to the Hong Kong Mile - Kip Deville. It didn't finish well. According to the jockey Cornelio Velasquez, "It was just the wrong way round for him, and he was never tracking comfortably. He was on the wrong lead."

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Another Day at the Races (14-Dec-08)

Good Ba Ba, the eventual winner of the Hong Kong Mile. He did so with a new course record too.

Pay attention to the horse coat before and after the race.

The last picture is a devoted fan. Was he the same guy who also cheered for Silent Witness 4 year ago?

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Another Day at the Races (14-Dec-08)

More misc pictures. The first one is the nice hi-tech parade ring. Before a big race, the jockeys would be introduced and cheered on (or booed at if they rided badly.)

The third picture was Garrett Gomez, a top jockey from the USA. He was "found guilty of a charge of careless riding...  permitted his mount to shift in... causing that horse to lose its rightful running and be checked."

As a result, he was suspended from riding until 21-Dec-08. Even though Gomez was not a jockey normally riding in Hong Kong, the suspension was enforced by a reciprocal agreement between difference racing jurisdictions. Gomez did sit out the suspension period in the US until 21-Dec-08. This respect and enforcement of the reciprocal agreement contrast sharply with another case, where Chris Munce was issued a riding license in Australia when suspended in Hong Kong for more than 12 months.