Hong Kong Jockey Club | Horse Racing Free Tips

Longines And HKJC Renew Partnership For Five More Years

Longines and the Hong Kong Jockey Club have extended their partnership another five years to 2026. The partnership, which began in 2012, sees Longines continue as the title partner and Official Timekeeper of the G1 Longines Cup, the Longines International Jockeys' Championship and the Longines Hong Kong International Races. The Longines World's Best Jockey award is also presented during the Longines HKIR.

Hong Kong will also continue to be the home of the world's richest Group 1 turf races over 1200m, 1600m and 2000m when the collective prize money of the four Group 1 features at the Longines HKIR rises to a new high of HK$110 million ($14 million), an increase of HK$10 million ($1.27 million) on 2021. The new distribution of prize-money for the four Longines Group 1 races to be run at Sha Tin Racecourse is:

- 2000m Hong Kong Cup–HK$34 million ($4.33 million)
- 1600m Hong Kong Mile–HK$30 million ($3.82 million)
- 1200m Hong Kong Sprint–HK$24 million ($3.06 million)
- 2400m Hong Kong Vase–HK$22 million ($2.80 million)

“Longines is particularly proud to be associated with the Hong Kong Jockey Club and would like to thank all the members of this prestigious institution for their excellent collaboration,” said Matthias Breschan, CEO of Longines. “As title partner and official timekeeper, we are delighted to continue this long-standing relationship and to share our common passion for equestrian sports,” said Matthias Breschan, CEO of Longines.

Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, said “We are delighted to extend our partnership with Longines, a brand which is synonymous with quality, both in terms of watch-making and equestrian sport. The Longines Hong Kong International (HKIR) week is an international showcase of the world's best horses, trainers and jockeys and one of the biggest racing events worldwide. It demonstrates our commitment to excellence at the elite level and provides a year-end opportunity for the very best to perform on a global stage.”

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HKJC Executive, New TOC President Bill Nader Joins Writers’ Room

As a well-respected industry veteran of several decades coming off an immensely successful run as an executive with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Bill Nader could likely write his own ticket for most jobs in the industry. It was recently announced that after 15 years in Hong Kong, Nader would be coming home to America and become the new president and CEO of the Thoroughbred Owners of California. Tuesday, Nader joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland as the Green Group Guest of the Week to talk about why he left Hong Kong for the TOC, his analysis of the current state of California racing, what lessons can be taken for America from the growth of Hong Kong racing and more.

“I was coming back anyway and had made the decision to leave at some point this year,” Nader said of returning home. “We've been pretty much locked down [in Hong Kong] for the last three years, so I haven't been back [to America] for three years. My family used to come visit from time to time, but they haven't been able to do that. So I was ready to wrap it up and head home. Then this opportunity presented itself and through the process of getting to know the board at the TOC, I became very comfortable with their commitment and dedication. I'm certainly not a California guy, but I'm very familiar with the rich history of racing in California. Even now with a horse like Flightline who may be the world number one when the rankings come out next month, and you think of horses like Arrogate, Zenyatta, California Chrome, Best Pal, going all the way back to Seabiscuit, it's a rich, rich, rich history. You have some of the world's most beautiful racetracks, great weather, so there's so much to build on there. I'm excited for the opportunity.”

Nader was later asked what has made Hong Kong racing so successful under his tenure, during which annual handle more than doubled from HK$60 billion to HK$133 billion, and whether the formula behind that success can be translated to American racing.

“I think it comes down to quality control, number one,” he said. “The two segments you really want to make sure you take care of are horse owners and horseplayers. If you get those two things right, then the foundation is solid. We've made tremendous investments in increasing purse money and handle. When you look at what makes racing attractive to the horseplayer, it's good field sizes, quality racing, great liquidity, and integrity. On integrity, have our own racing lab, one of the world's best racing labs, at Sha Tin. Our racing stewards are very good and vigilant in protecting not only the integrity of the sport but the integrity of the wager. There's also vertical integration here within the Hong Kong Jockey Club framework, where everything is under our roof. So we're not only the operator, we're the regulator, we do our own food and beverage, we do own our show, we do our own broadcasting. The people who work here in the key positions are among the best in the world. So everything structurally is in a great spot.”

Elsewhere on the show, which is also sponsored by Coolmore, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, XBTV, West Point Thoroughbreds and Legacy Bloodstock, the writers discussed what to do about a redundant national stakes schedule, analyzed NYRA's suspension of Bob Baffert and previewed a busy holiday weekend of racing. Click here to watch the show; click here for the audio-only version or find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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Bill Nader Named Next TOC President, CEO

Bill Nader has agreed to join the Thoroughbred Owners of California as President and Chief Executive Officer, the organization announced today. Nader's appointment will take effect in October of this year. He succeeds Greg Avioli who resigned earlier this year.
Nader, 64, joins the TOC from the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), where he has held senior executive positions since 2007. Prior to that, Nader was the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the New York Racing Association, where he was employed from 1994-2007.

“Given his experience both domestically and internationally and the respect he commands across the Thoroughbred racing industry, we could not be more pleased to announce Bill Nader as our President and CEO,” said TOC Chairman Gary Fenton. “California has been at the forefront of historic industry changes the last few years, and Bill's appointment is another forward-thinking step. The future of California racing has never been brighter.”

“I look forward to working together with everyone at the TOC and all valued stakeholders within the industry to build a strong and sustainable future for California racing,” said Nader. “California has a rich history and some of the world's most beautiful racetracks. I'm excited to accept this position to represent not only those that I serve but also a sport for which I have great passion and respect.”

Most recently, Nader served as the Director of Racing Product, Marketing and Sponsorship for the HKJC since August of last year. Prior to that, he was the Executive Director of Racing and the Director of Racing Business and Operations. In addition, from 2018-2021, he was Chairman of the Board and Legal Representative of Guangzhou Hong Kong Jockey Club Race Horse Training where he was responsible for the HKJC's new HK$3.7 billion race course in Conghua, China, which opened in 2018. The Hong Kong Jockey Club is widely recognized as the world-class leader in Thoroughbred racing and wagering. During Nader's tenure, wagering increased from HK$60 billion in 2006 to a record high HK$133 billion in 2021.

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HKJC To Offer Record Prize-Money For New Season

Record total prize-money and incentives of HK$1.62 billion, approximately £158.6 million, will be offered across the 2022/23 season, the Hong Kong Jockey Club announced on Wednesday. Overall purses will be bolstered by a record single-season increase of 11.5% (HK$167.2 million) and there are also increases in prize-money across middle-distance races and a new bonus system.

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, chief executive officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said, “The last two and a half years have been among the most challenging times in Hong Kong racing history. Despite this, we have been able to continue racing and we would like to thank everybody in the industry for working together to make it happen.

“With various kinds of COVID-19 measures including overseas travel restrictions, it has made it difficult for owners and trainers to go to the sales to source horses for two racing seasons. Furthermore, we are facing an increased competition to source good horses due to prize-money increases around the world, especially Australia which is the main source of our bloodstock. The popularity of overseas racing syndicates, which are less willing to sell horses as well as highly competitive power from Gulf countries also makes the issue harder.

“We recognise all of these factors, but firmly believe that the impacts of this will be short-term. We have seen Hong Kong emerge as one of the world leaders in racing both in terms of its quality and its international recognition. We have also successfully pioneered large scale international commingling, and now the World Pool. We firmly believe that Hong Kong racing will have room for further growth and we are fully committed to making the necessary investments to achieve this, both through major plans for significant capital investments in our racecourses and training facilities in Sha Tin and Conghua, as well as in a prize-money pool that rewards owners who invest in high-quality horses.”

Hong Kong now hosts the world's richest Group 1 turf races at 1200m, 1600m, and 2000m. In addition, the four Group 1 features at the Longines Hong Kong International Races will offer total prize-money of HK$110 million, approximately £10.7 million, an increase of HK$10 million on 2021. The three races that received prize-money increases are as follows:

The G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup (2000m) purse will increase to HK$34 million (+13.3%).
The G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile (1600m) purse rises to HK$30 million (+15.4%).
The G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m) will be worth HK$22 million (+10%), and is now the sixth-richest Group 1 2400m event in the world.

“The Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) have been widely recognised as the Turf World Championships and the HK$110 million total prize-money also highlights the Club's commitment to attracting and rewarding the world's best,” said Engelbrecht-Bresges.

Other notable Group 1 races are the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m), with a purse of HK$12 million, the HK$20-million Chairman's Sprint Prize (1200m) on FWD Champions Day, and the HK$24-million Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200m). The latter pair are the richest and second-richest 1200-metre turf races in the world. In addition, the purses for Hong Kong's Group 2 and Group 3 races have been boosted to HK$5 million (+5.3%)) and HK$3.9 million (+5.4%), respectively.

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