To understand how far anything in Hong Kong has travelled, and this includes horse racing, there’s always a need to revisit the past and those days when there was only racing at Happy Valley Racecourse- eight races- on Saturday afternoons. Sunday was family day.
It was a time when Hong Kong was finding its feet and local racing heroes like Tony Cruz, below, were about to soon burst onto the scene and become the idols they have become.
One thing you quickly learn about today’s Hong Kong’s “racing uncles” who were growing up in colonial Hong Kong at the time is that these were their formative years.
They’re now creatures of habit who cannot be budged from their thinking.
Sitting in their favourite spots, especially at Happy Valley Racecourse with their friends, and tucking into their dinner, usually comprising a boxed meal of rice with some fish and vegetables, a beer and their trusty racing newspaper, they discuss with each other who will win what race and who wouldn’t.
Of course, there’s always always always time to think back to those very very good old days of a Hong Kong visited by Hollywood and a city with so much style without having to work at it.
There’s also always time to reminisce when riding in Hong Kong were jockeys like Peter Miers, Peter Gumbleton, Glynn Pretty, Eddie Cracknell, Geoff Lane etc, and a few years later youngsters like Gary Moore and Tony Cruz.
It was of course a much more simple and carefree time. Though the racing rumour mill was still to click into place, these future racing uncles already thought they knew who the bad guys were by following the thinking of outspoken television racing personality Bill Tung-biu.
“Uncle” Bill openly criticised jockeys for some of their rides on his hugely popular programme where he would have races rewound over and over again, replayed and angrily pointing with his finger to the “offending scene”.
There are stories of him getting so worked up at what he saw as a dodgy ride that one day he started slapping the television set with one of his shoes.
Being unhinged had no boundaries.
Most Hong Kong “racing uncles” grew up being schooled on their favourite pastime by watching “Uncle” Bill’s theatrics on television and his many conspiracy theories about the races.
This is why there’s almost always the mention, even today, how this and that jockey “didn’t try”.
There’s no point arguing with these gentlemen about any of the above. They’re never wrong, at least to themselves, and they’re extremely passionate and vocal about their racing. So is the generation from where they came.
Some might not like it, but it adds character and provides a very real Hong Kong personality to horse racing.
This is why when recently told by a group of these gentlemen that Australian jockey Jamie Kah, below, will win the upcoming Longines International Jockeys Championship- despite no one still knowing her book of rides- one just listened, feigned interest and nodded in agreement.
To many of these salted fish of the earth and grassroots racing fans, the highlight of this year’s International Jockeys’ Championship is going to be seeing gun lady riders Jamie Kah and Britain’s Hollie Doyle, below, riding against each other.
Think this is the first time anywhere that these top lady riders have ridden against each other.
Add to them, marquee value names like Ryan Moore, Tom Marquand who’s married to Hollie Doyle, Jye McNeil, Mikael Barzalona and the four leading riders in Hong Kong led by The Zac Man who’s riding with more confidence than usual which is hard to believe.
We’re sure that the Hong Kong Jockey Club will pull out all stops to ensure that a good time will be had by all.
The Hong Kong International Jockeys Championship has always been a fun, exciting, yet chilled warmup night of competitive horse racing.
This is before the more serious business of world class racing for humongous prize money takes place at Shatin four days later- December 11- and to a more upmarket audience.
The “racing uncles” will be there, and happy in their own space in the Public stands.
This particular day is more like a garden party for the lifestyles of the rich and famous and wannabe famous.
We haven’t been to one of these Sunday afternoon soirées in over a decade. This was when our “posse” had a constantly expanding table overflowing with friends and strangers and overlooking the winning post.
Win, lose or draw, the celebrations carried into the next morning that always ended with a marathon karaoke session at that remarkable club known as BBoss.
With Covid-19 restrictions hobbling day for night journeys like these, at least for us- and everyone is different- HKIR day is something watched sporadically on television or streamed while enjoying a leisurely lunch outdoors at Spices in Repulse Bay.
Sunday’s racing has always had a very different vibe to Wednesday night’s show.
One understands that this year, instead of the usual fireworks display synced up to some Katy Perry track, there will be the razzmatazz of a light show.
The last time we attended one of these nights was around five years ago, and mainly for the after show party at Adrenaline.
Then, however, came the itsy bitsy spider along with the protests and civil unrest of 2019 that had been simmering since the Umbrella Movement in 2014 before being hit by Covid-19 and more lockdowns, vaccinations, apps, masks and various social distancing measures.
The mental “preparation” and various safety clauses and steps needed to be taken to keep the Covid-19 bogey man away instead of spontaneously going out is hardly a great advertisement for venturing too far away from home base.
While Hong Kong’s racing uncles will be at Happy Valley in their favourite spots along with those who wish to have a good night out and see some of the best jockeys in the world competing against each other, we’ll be somewhere else.
We’ll be at our favourite venue- the Champagne Bar at the nearby Grand Hyatt Hotel where, finally, ‘live’ music is back on the menu along with some of the best sliders and dips in town.
Every half hour, we’ll be cheering on Hong Kong-born racing heroes Matthew Chadwick, who’s riding in terrific form, and Vincent Ho. Here’s hoping that they bring home the bacon and cha siu bao.
More than anything else, here’s hoping we’re finally seeing Hong Kong emerging from the darkness as a winner- and close to being the vital and vibrant city it once was.
To any Hong Kong Belonger, Hong Kong is not a stopover. It’s home. And being home, there’s always the need to ensure that it never loses its dignity.
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