Equestrian status gallops ahead (hktdc.com)


	John Ridley, Head of Racing Operations at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, enjoys his position in "the cream of jobs"

John Ridley is Head of Racing Operations for the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which in addition to running world-renowned races at its Happy Valley and Shatin tracks, is Hong Kong's premier charity and community benefactor. As he enters his 13th season with the Club, Sydney-born Mr Ridley explains why the excitement and glamour of living and working in Hong Kong still sets his heart racing.

"I'd worked at racecourses in Australia and New Zealand before the opportunity came up, in 1994, to take up a position with the Hong Kong Jockey Club. To me this was the cream of jobs. Hong Kong racing is so well resourced that I knew it was the place to trial new ideas and develop innovation.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club is itself so successful that one is able to do things a lot more professionally. For example, we have five staff maintaining our all-weather track, so you can do the job 100 per cent. I can't imagine having such resources anywhere else.

At the end of the day, we've all got an ego and it is always nice to work with such a well run organisation that has both tremendous resources and a pool of clever people. The Club's dream is to be the number one racing jurisdiction in the world and while I know that's a big call, I believe we are on track.

Rich prize purse

In the past decade or so the status of Hong Kong racing has galloped ahead. When I started here we had only one international race meeting with three races, and now there are three meetings with six races. In 1994, the now Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup was run as a Group Two race with HK $5.5 million (US$707,000) prize money, and is now a Group One race with a $20 million (US$2.6 million) purse. The Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile (formerly the Hong Kong Bowl) has gone from a Group Three race with a HK$4.5 million (US$578,000) purse, to a Group One race offering HK$16 million (US$2 million). The Vase and Sprint, previously only listed races, are now international Group One races with prize money of HK$14 million (US$1.8 million) and HK$12 million (US$1.5 million) respectively.

Another interesting statistic is that we've received a record 322 overseas first nominations for this year's international race meeting (in December), and of those, 79 are Group One winners. The horses will be coming from all over the world – Europe, the US, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, England and Ireland – which indicates how sought-after Hong Kong's racing has become. Our international races are "black type" for breeders, which means it looks good on their resume. Winning a Group One race in Hong Kong adds value to the horse at stud.

In addition to the prize money, owners like coming to Hong Kong because they are treated very well with a week's racing and entertainment. The Club has one of the most unique parade rings in the world with its retractable roof (at the Shatin racecourse), and with all the balconies overlooking the ring it feels like you are in a stadium. Companies know it is very prestigious to book a private dining room (with balcony) for their guests and these corporate entertainment facilities are always fully booked.

World-class facilities

Our equine medical facilities are among the best in the world – in fact I don't know of any other racing jurisdiction that has such a state-of-the-art veterinary hospital and racing laboratory right on the racecourse. Hong Kong also has quarantine protocol arrangements with many countries that make it easier for horses to travel here.

Of course, in addition to preparations for next month's international races, the Hong Kong Jockey Club is gearing up to host the equestrian events of the Beijing Olympics. This will put Hong Kong on the world stage with a massive viewer audience, including the cross-country phase of the Three Day Event, which attracts one of the largest audiences of any Olympics event.

Our participation involves an HK$850 million (US$109 million) investment in infrastructure in the Jockey Club's Shatin property and the adjacent Hong Kong Sports Institute, and at Beas River. By the end of 2008, four equestrian centres in Hong Kong will be the recipients of equipment and facilities used at the Olympics, which will be a legacy for the horse riding public to enjoy.

Hong Kong is a place where you can make dreams become reality. You can achieve things here that would be impossible elsewhere – like imagining a roof over the parade ring, and being able to make it happen. That is what keeps people here – the fact that the challenges never go away."