Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic premise – to identify which of two or more horses is the fastest over a set course or distance – has been mostly unchanged since at least classical antiquity.
Sha Tin Racecourse is one of the two racecourses for horse racing in Hong Kong. It is located in Sha Tin in the New Territories. It is managed by Hong Kong Jockey Club.
The Hong Kong Vase is a Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 2,400 metres at Sha Tin, and it is scheduled to take place each year in mid December.
The Hong Kong Sprint is a Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 1,200 metres at Sha Tin, and it is scheduled to take place each year in mid December.
The Hong Kong Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 2000 metres at Sha Tin, and it is scheduled to take place each year in mid December.
Gérald Mossé is a jockey in thoroughbred horse racing. He began riding professionally in April 1983. His success during his apprenticeship under Patrick-Louis Biancone led to an offer to ride for renowned trainer François Boutin. His stable of horses belonging to Jean-Luc Lagardère. Mossé went on to become one of his country's top jockeys, winning the 1990 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. In 1991, he rode Arazi to five straight wins in France then spent 1992 and part of 1993 racing in Hong Kong.
The Champions Mile is a Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong for three-year-old and above thoroughbreds run over a distance of 1,600 metres on the turf at Sha Tin Racecourse with the total purse of HK$14m in 2014/15, approximately US$1.8m.
The Sprint Cup is a set weights Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race in Hong Kong, run at Sha Tin over 1200 metres in April.
The Global Sprint Challenge is a Thoroughbred horse racing series inaugurated in 2005 as a series of six sprint races run across three racing jurisdictions in Australia, England and Japan. In 2006 the series expanded to seven races across four racing jurisdictions with the inclusion of a race in Hong Kong. In 2008 the series expanded to eight races when an additional race in England became part of the series and in 2011 the series expands to nine races with the inclusion of a race in Singapore.
The Jockey Club Sprint is a Group 2 set weights Thoroughbred horse race in Hong Kong, run over 1200 metres. In the 2003/2004 racing season, this race was upgraded to a domestic Group 2 event. The race was promoted to International Group 2 status in 2010. The prize money in season 2011/12 is HK$3,000,000, which was increased to HK$3,875,000 in season 2014/15.
The Jockey Club Mile is a Group 2 set weights Thoroughbred horse race in Hong Kong, run at Sha Tin over 1600 metres in November.
The Centenary Sprint Cup is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race over a distance of 1200 metres at Sha Tin in January. It was originally known as the Centenary Cup, which was first run on 24 November 1984 to celebrate the centenary of The Hong Kong Jockey Club. It offers a purse of HK$10,000,000.
The Hong Kong Classic Mile is a domestic Group 1 four year old set weights Thoroughbred horse race in Hong Kong, run over a distance of 1600 metres. It was originally a Group 3 race and was the traditional lead-up race for the Hong Kong Derby. In the season of 1999/2000, this race was upgraded to domestic Group 1 status. Now, it is the first of the three major races for the Hong Kong classic generation.
The Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup is a set weights Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race in Hong Kong, run over 1400 metres, with the total purse of HK$10m in 2014/15, approximately US$1.3m. In the season of 2005/06, it was upgraded to Group 1 status and has since become the final leg of the Hong Kong Speed Series.
The National Day Cup is a Group 3 Thoroughbred handicap horse race in Hong Kong, run at Sha Tin over 1000 metres. It takes place every year on 1 October, Hong Kong National Day. Originally run over 1400 metres, it replaced the Sha Tin Sprint Trophy in 2014, with the Celebration Cup a new race over 1400 metres. It is one of only two Group races run over 1000 metres in Hong Kong each year, along with January's Bauhinia Sprint Trophy.
Bauhinia Sprint Trophy is a Group 3 Thoroughbred horse race in Hong Kong, run at Sha Tin over 1000 metres in December/January. Horses rated 90 and above are qualified to enter the race. The race held Group One status until 2004 and was won twice, 2004 and 2005, by Silent Witness.
The Jockey Club Cup (Hong Kong) is a set weights Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race in Hong Kong, run at Sha Tin over a distance of 2000 metres in November.
Pan Sutong JP, is a Hong Kong billionaire businessman. He is the founder of Matsunichi Digital Holdings Limited, and the chairman of Goldin Real Estate Financial Holdings Limited.
Gold-Fun was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse trained in Hong Kong since 2012. He is notable for winning the Hong Kong Classic Mile 2013, National Day Cup 2013 (HKG3–1400m), the HKG2 Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy, the HKG1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup 2014 and the Celebration Cup 2014.
Fairy King Prawn was an Australian-bred, Hong Kong-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. After being sold and exported to Hong Kong as a yearling he became one of the most successful and popular horses in his adopted territory. Equally adept as a sprinter or as a miler he won twelve of his twenty-six starts including the Chairman's Sprint Prize (twice) the Hong Kong Sprint, Hong Kong Stewards' Cup and Bauhinia Sprint Trophy. In 2000 he became the first Hong Kong horse to win a Grade One race abroad when he won the Yasuda Kinen in Japan. He won numerous awards including the title of Hong Kong Horse of the Year on two occasions. He was retired from racing in 2002 after undergoing surgery for serious leg injuries. After working for several years at a Hong Kong riding school he was sent into full retirement in New Zealand in 2011.
