DYLAN MO: HONG KONG CULT HERO AND THE NEED FOR MORE IN THE PRESENTATION OF THE HORSE RACING EXPERIENCE.

Of course, it was expected: The hoopla on Sunday at Shatin surrounding a couple of Hong Kong’s and the world’s best racehorses in the form of the absolute Kong from the Hong in Kai Ying Rising and the return of the amazing Romantic Warrior.

Kai Ying Rising is in a different league and his amazing win brought back recent memories of Travis Head tearing apart whatever “Bazballs” England might have thrown his way in the first of five Ashes Test matches between the two countries.

It made for stunning watching for cricket fans as did Ka Ying rising to even greater new heights.

As for the return of the incredible Romantic Warrior and his global domination of racing, this is something that has been masterfully planned and executed by trainer Danny Shum.

Having said all this and despite also having two of the world’s best riders competing for honours at Shatin on Sunday, a couple of smart international marketing people we know were watching a Class 3 race over 2000 metres won by little known Hong Kong born jockey Dylan Mo riding a horse named Winning Wing.

There’s an interesting backstory here: This galloper was purchased by Kei Chiong, the popular former apprentice who is quickly making a name for herself as a savvy young Bloodstock agent and used to ride against Dylan Mo.

Often times, good, effective marketing is a combination of journalism and finding new angles to stories that others might write- not unlike another Dylan some of us might know who, through his songs and words, changed the world..

Dylan Mo is also one of those stories that travels beyond horse racing and after the last race has been run and when today’s news fade into yesterday.

With only one ride on the ten race card, and with it unusual for him to have even one ride at a meeting, Dylan Mo has become something of a cult hero in Hong Kong and a symbol of inspiration and resilience, who won his race with a good tactical ride..

Making this success story gain mainstream attention through marketing that strays from the norm is often lost on the Hong Kong Jockey Club and its marketing teams.

They really appear to have a very hard time looking past the obvious. Could this be due to a possible culture of fear gripping the Club? Hmmmmm.

While, the Club continues to try and force square pegs into round holes, keep moving goalposts and bringing in wobbly hires, some of whose job appears to be to flounce around and lose themselves in the puffery of serial self promotion, we’ll follow what an international marketing team might have in mind for Dylan Mo in the global world of FG1 sports marketing.

As for racing in Hong Kong and the presentation of its world class product?

Like the city itself from where it no doubt gets its lead, and no matter what the racing scribes might write, the brand personality of horse racing in Hong Kong remains unattractive to the upwardly mobile youth market- if such an animal still exists in the city- and fails dismally to capture the attention of pretty much any global consumer brand.

Anyone who knows marketing understands the importance of partnership marketing. But how many at the HKJC even know the rudiments of marketing?

The presentation of the racing experience is also looking rather tired and worn out.

Watching on television on Sunday the local threesome of senior citizens known as Grasshopper prance around looking like praying mantises in some weird mating ritual made me feel rather queasy.

As for their forced attempts at sounding “passionate” about horse racing, well, whose misplaced idea was that?

Anyway…

Knowing something about cinematography and editing, there appear to be three obligatory shots on every big race day- people shuffling in from the MTR station, a smattering of bored looking senior citizens seated in one part of the public stands who hardly scream out “Giddyup”, and a sad looking shot of sleepy looking people leaving after the afternoon TVB type of matinee.

Race callers in Hong Kong might rave about some “new” drone shot. Hearing this makes me shake my head and think about everything that goes into making the Everest or Melbourne Cup day and the entire week come alive with fun and a certain joie de vivre.

This gets back to how everything anywhere in the world is dependent on the people it attracts.

At least during HKIR week, there should be some foreigners in town who get dressed up for the occasion and enjoy their day at the races. This will help bring some much needed style to the races.

Here’s hoping that they receive a good Return On Investment on the time taken and money to get to Hong Kong.

And after they leave?

If the race day on Sunday was a “dress rehearsal” for the Sunday of HKIR week, there’s much work to be done between now and then as to how this special race day is presented and what will make it truly memorable.

Credit: All photographs of Dylan Mo by Wallace Wan.

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Born in Ceylon, Hans Ebert is an award winning advertising executive whose powerful campaign to gain the Right Of Abode in the United Kingdom for ethnic minorities in Hong Kong won Gold at the London Advertising Awards.

He also helped launch McDonald’s in Hong Kong, created the Happy Wednesday brand for the HKJC, was part of the team to launch STARTV and MTV in Asia plus ran the International divisions of Universal Music and EMI Music in Asia.

As a journalist, he has interviewed every from Billy Joel, legendary music producer Quincy Jones, and actor Peter Sellers to working on music for David Bowie, Robbie Williams and Gorillaz.

He also coined the term Canto Pop when writing for Billboard magazine.

He has a penchant for women who remind him of Diane Keaton.