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It was the loudest secret in Hong Kong- and Singapore- for almost two months, and it was made official this week: João Moreira will delay his start to the new racing season as he gets himself fit after a series of niggling injuries that didn’t really see him performing to maximum level last season.
Time will tell the progress of the mercurial Brazilian Magic Man as Hong Kong racing, at least for one more season, desperately needs an ongoing Zac and João Show. It’s a world class Feel Good double act.
Away from the race track, what is needed to understand is the mental fatigue that has crippled many in Hong Kong, not just in horse racing, but those who don’t have the means to getaway from falling in line with the mission impossible of following a Zero Covid-19 policy.
The latest punch to the guts was delivered yesterday when a nine-year old special needs boy and his father were kept waiting at the airport for almost ten hours.
This was after their return to the city while the different government departments dithered trying to figure out what to do.
After almost 14 hours, the boy was finally given permission to self quarantine at home.
Not surprisingly, the boy’s father described what his son had to go through as “inhumane”. It was. And it should never ever be repeated.
As a lawyer who has followed this incident mentioned, it’s not going to be long before certain “elements” are served legal notices for, not just chasing their own tails, but for visitors to Hong Kong having to quarantine in hotels where even windows are not allowed to be opened.
As she explained, “Someone is going to be held responsible if any of these ‘guests’ and visitors to Hong Kong get ill in one of these rooms with no ventilation and which are not even allowed to be cleaned.
“It’s an extremely flawed plan that’s seemingly been put together by supposed professionals with not much thought.
“What has not even been taken into consideration are the mental health issues on the line”.
With all these glaring mistakes gathering more and more criticism every day, the new Hong Kong racing season, once highly anticipated, is viewed with a quiet “Who Cares?” mentality.
After all, far greater priorities are at stake- like being happy, gaining employment, seeing businesses start up again, tourists wanting to visit Hong Kong, and people wanting to see opportunities to be financially solvent- just something liveable and nothing of Elon Musk status.
Maybe, finally, Hong Kong is realising that money isn’t everything, that it cannot buy happiness, and how flaunting one’s wealth can backfire rather badly.
Today’s Hong Kong is an angry city with less and less time for bollocks- no matter how carefully manicured and packaged this is.
What about the racing?
It will, of course continue. It has to for the various piggy banks.
The question is whether this racing product will be the world class racing product many have come to expect from Hong Kong?
If not...
The interest level in this pastime, especially this season, will definitely need something spectacularly clever from the Hong Kong Jockey Club to take what’s been looking like an uncool old person’s hobby into a completely new field of dreams.
This is especially true in a Hong Kong heading to 2023 with nothing much to look forward to , except for more of the same.
Just maybe, the blinkered city officials can find something relevant IF there can be a really honest changing face of horse racing- something which will change their mindsets and repair this city’s own damaged image.
Time waits for no one.
It’s now or never.
