The thought bubble started to gain traction with the rather puzzling oddity that preceded the hugely successful Hong Kong Sevens weekend called “Racing with Rugby” where a square peg was seemingly tried to be forced into a round hole. The HKJC’s Champions Day on Sunday at Shatin will prove that when horse racing doesn’t try to be what it never can be, it succeeds on its own terms, whereas strange as it may seem to some, all this could actually offer food for thought to those

No one had to even mention the appearance of actor and Eighties heartthrob Jason Donovan, but having a staunch Hong Kong Rugby Sevens supporter and friend from New Zealand take a swig of his beer and belch out over lunch,“Whatever this thing that the Hong Kong Jockey Club is talking about better not muck up my Sevens weekend. It’s been doing bloody well on its own!” This brought up the question of sponsorship of the Sevens, and whether the architect of the recent success of t

There’s much perception versus reality involved, and speaking recently to a young overseas jockey who was considering applying for a license to ride in Hong Kong, I advised her that being part and parcel of Hong Kong racing first requires doing serious due diligence about how the city works and sees itself today and what the government is thinking about based on the financial and business objectives of China. It’s also about knowing exactly where a gambling driven pastime lik