| Huge crowds packed Sha Tin racecourse on Sunday to greet the return of Hong Kong's number one sport for a new season. The attendance of over 63,000 race fans was the highest turnout in a decade for an opening meeting. The positive trend was also reflected in betting turnover of HK$825.5 million, the highest since 2001 for the corresponding fixture and up by 12.5 per cent on last year. |
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"We are extremely encouraged by these results and there was a great atmosphere on course enjoying great entertainment – we had some terrific horses, world class jockeys and very competitive racing. We are very happy with this positive trend and we hope it can continue," said Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Club's Chief Executive Officer.
The Honourable Henry Tang Ying-yen, the acting Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR and an honorary steward of the Club, officially opened proceedings with the traditional striking of a ceremonial gong an hour before the ten-race programme began.
Those who got to the track in good time were also treated to a terrific spectacle in the Trainers Ride For Charity with Derek Cruz coming out on top by a head aboard Ganbaria from the John Moore-ridden Sunny Golf.
Seven of Hong Kong's licenced trainers took part in the inaugural event down 800m of the Sha Tin straight and Cruz, it has to be said, looked the part. He rode short, a few holes shorter than his rivals, and wasn't troubled when Moore established a break of about a length at halfway.
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Cruz maintained his rhythm and whittled away the advantage inside the final strides to get up by a head. Me Tsui Yu-sak, the nominal favourite for the catch weights contest, finished a neck further back in third on General Kingy.
"I'm delighted to win but, phew, I'm pretty tired! It took me a while to pull him up actually," the 52-year-old Cruz later exclaimed. "It's a bit different to riding trackwork, I can tell you that. It really got the adrenaline going. You know, I am really pleased to have taken part and I hope the Club can stage another one of these races next season." |
The Club donated HK$200,000 to the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (HK) at the request of Cruz and Ganbaria's owners, Mr and Mrs Robert Chan Chin-yuan.
The principal event of the day, the HKSAR Chief Executive's Cup (Class 1 –1200m), went to the Sunny Power, ridden by Howard Cheng Yue-tin. From the bottom of the handicap, Sunny Power got the better of pacesetter Egyptian Ra by half a length with a similar margin back to Green Birdie.
"I wasn't 100 per cent sure if he could cope with this class but I guess he's improved a little from last season and his light weight helped. It was also good to see him finish straight and true today as well as he had a habit of hanging in under pressure before," remarked winning trainer Francis Lui Kin-wai.
The victory was Cheng's second of the day. Jockeys Gerald Mosse and Douglas Whyte, apprentice Thomas Yeung Kai-tong and trainers John Size, Tony Millard, Almond Lee Yee-tat and Danny Shum Chap-shing also enjoyed double success.
Children of owners were also permitted on course for the first time in designated areas. "It has been a great opportunity for my family to appreciate the sport of racing and cheer on our runners," said owner Mr Wong Yuk-kwan, accompanied by his three children to watch his two horses perform. Mr Wong emphasised that bringing his children to the racecourse had nothing to do with promoting gambling.
09 / 09 / 2007
2007/08 馬季今天開鑼 入場人數創十年新高
| 2007/08 年度馬季今天（九月九日星期日）在沙田馬場開鑼，全日十場賽事投注額合共八億二千多萬元，比上季上升 ，是自 2001 年以來投注額最高的開鑼日。兩個馬場合共有超過 63,000 人進場觀賽，入場人數亦為十年來最高。
香港賽馬會行政總裁應家柏說：「開鑼日丁財兩旺
令人鼓舞，場內氣氛熱烈，人馬表現精彩。我們對投注額及入場人數回升感到高興，希望往後升勢可以持續。」
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在開鑼日開幕儀式上，香港特別行政區署理行政長官唐英年大槌一揮，宣告 2007/08 年度馬季正式開始。
開鑼日最引人注意的其中一項節目，是別開生面的
練馬師慈善策騎賽。七位練馬師參與角逐途程八百米的首屆練馬師慈善策騎賽。結果由告達理策騎的「金百利」在的最後一步超越約翰摩亞的坐騎「新力高」，以馬頸位險勝。由徐雨石策騎的「上浦福將」則取得季軍，負於「金百利」半個馬位。
五十二歲的告達理賽後表示：「我很高興能夠勝出，我真的很累呢！我花了一些時間才能令坐騎加速。策騎馬匹出賽比操練刺激，但亦辛苦得多。我很高興能夠參與，希望馬會下季繼續舉辦這類賽事。」
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馬會將捐出二十萬元予由告達理及「金百利」馬主詹金源伉儷指定的本地慈善機構東華三院及香港愛護動物協會（各十萬元）。
新馬季首項錦標賽「香港特區行政長官盃」（第一班 -1200 米）在第八場舉行。結果由鄭雨滇策騎呂健威馬房的「陽光」勇奪冠軍。
呂健威說：「賽前我不肯定『陽光』的實力是否足夠在此班稱惡，我認為牠比上季進步了一點，而這場負輕磅對他亦很有幫助。以往牠有一點內閃傾向，而今日其表現確實比前改善了。」
馬會今天在沙田馬場舉行馬主 FUN 紛日，讓馬主可帶同小朋友進場欣賞賽馬運動。是日名下共有兩駒出賽的馬主黃煜坤先生帶同三名小朋友進場。他說：「這是一個很好的機會讓我們一家人可以同時欣賞賽馬運動，並且為自己的馬匹打氣。」黃先生強調，帶同小朋友入場欣賞賽馬運動與提倡賭博毫無關係。
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