DJANGO UNCHAINED

With many of us still trying to figure out what must be done to get Hong Kong back to some semblance of normality after the devastating fires in Tai Po and produce something approaching hope and happiness, it was oddly interesting timing to read racing writer Sam Agars of the SCMP tackle the subject of trainer David Hayes wanting the HKJC to think “out of the box” about the “oversupply” of Class 4 rated horses.

A newspaper story is a newspaper story and this is not to say that someone with all the experience of David Hayes and his understanding and love for Hong Kong doesn’t know about what the city is going through.

As for horse racing, it’s the lifeline of the Hong Kong Jockey Club and must know what I know which is how longtime owners have given up investing in horses and horse racing.

Why? Not seeing a return on investment and, well, very possibly a loss of interest and new life priorities.

This oversupply of Class 4 gallopers is telling because it says much about many other things affecting this city.

This includes the lazy marketing efforts of positioning Hong Kong as a tourist destination with the usual “cavalcade” of those ubiquitous twenty minute light shows and shows that drone on.

Do these shows really attract international tourists to Hong Kong or are they something for Hong Kong’s aging population who are happy to accept anything for free and for the hordes of low budget tour groups from Shenzhen who bring nothing to Hong Kong except perhaps low energy experimentation?

Around a month ago, for example, we watched one of these tour groups order caviar and champagne at a certain five star hotel restaurant.

No doubt never having tasted caviar before, and to drown the taste, ordered were bowls of rice, plus some soya sauce and ketchup.

After two bites and some haggling over the bill, they left.

Class: You either have it or you don’t- in life and even in that oversupply of Class 4 horses all dressed up with nowhere to go.

It doesn’t stop there or here and we know it.

While waiting with bated breath for October of next year, and apparently, honest to goodness horse racing in Conghua, China, is the HKJC able to think out of the box- or too set in its ways?

Then again, surely the visionary that is the HKJC CEO realises there is an urgent need for him and his A Team to include strategic thinking that goes beyond horse racing, whirlpools and billion dollar spending on things like carparks while toying with ideas like getting into the world of entertainment?

Timing, it’s all about timing and reading the mood of the city.

***********

No idea what the hell is going on here, but I think it’s Hong Kong photographer Wallace Wan’s greatest work. It’s the zenith of his creative powers- even more so than some of the gobbledygook he says after gulping down three vodka oranges and suddenly playing air guitar while singing something quite horrible and doing the cha cha.

***********

***********

***********