What no one knew at the time, including the person I was living with at the time was an idea racing through my head when being shown the beer garden at Happy Valley racecourse and which I turned into the Happy Wednesday brand for the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Some things are best kept in one’s hip pocket and being taught when in advertising that timing is everything. With the Hong Kong I once knew and where I met and married the American Wrangler girl and our daughter was born

A former colleague in advertising revisiting Hong Kong after over twenty years was mentioning just how much the city- and everything in it- has changed, and not for the better either. Having been invited to Riyadh for the running of the Saudi Cup and watching Japan’s Forever Young win and meeting the team behind this equine superstar, we talked about the horse racing in Hong Kong, which he had seen up close and personal last Thursday at the bang a gong Chinese New Year’s Day

“Billionaires' and Royalist clubs trying to attract the mass market... interesting”. The problem is that it’s 2026 and there’s still the same old problem, and instead of this problem going away, there are actually more problems, because those given the reins to solve problems, perhaps don’t wish to as opposed to not knowing what to do next. Why? Because maybe actually solving problems might make those who have been leading the band like Guy Lombardo did might feel that they c