By Alan Carasso
Executives from the Hong Kong Jockey Club told a group of about 70 media members from around the world that it plans on hosting a live racing program at its new Conghua Training Centre during calendar year 2019.
The Conghua Training Centre, set to open in the third quarter of 2018, has been built on land on which the Hong Kong Jockey Club designed and constructed the equestrian venue for the 2010 Asian Games in Ghuangzhou.
“Being probably the most demanding and significant project the Club has ever undertaken, the Conghua Training Centre is going to be one of the most significant milestones in the history of Hong Kong racing when it opens in August 2018,” said Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges. “This project is fully endorsed, and is only possible, due to the support of the Hong Kong and Mainland governments. We have overcome many challenges, from establishing the first Equine Disease-free Zone in China with the support of the OIE, the Hong Kong and Mainland governments, in extending the health status of Hong Kong into Conghua. We have obtained special permission for seamless cross-border transportation of horses, for our veterinarians to practice in China, to import horse feed and medication and to establish the first comprehensive equine clinic in the Chinese Mainland.”
The Club has made a CAPEX investment of HK$3.7 billion (US$473.8 million) for the training centre and has committed a further HK$1.5 billion (US$192.1 million) towards a multi-year complete renovation programme at Sha Tin in 2018/2019 once Conghua is fully operational.
The announcement of a race meeting with horses from Hong Kong was made with the full acknowledgment that wagering will not be part of the plan, as it is expressly forbidden in Mainland China.
“We plan to have our first showcase racing carnival in 2019, very similar to what the NBA does to showcase their top basketball teams in the Chinese Mainland,” Engelbrecht-Bresges said. “We firmly believe we can strengthen the positioning of Conghua as a tourist destination, giving Conghua a unique branding similar to Baden-Baden with hot springs and racing, and create significant value for the region by attracting high-value tourists.”
Among other topics, Engelbrecht-Bresges and other members of the HKJC team addressed the logistics of traveling horses from Hong Kong to Conghua and detailed concierge-like services that will be made available to Hong Kong Jockey Club members whose horses race and/or take part in barrier trials at Conghua.
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