The heavy rain and thunder brought by the approaching Tropical Storm Tapah did little to deter racing fans, as the Hong Kong season opened in Sha Tin on Sunday.
Crowds started gathering at the racecourse from 8am, with punters eager to get a spot near the parade ring for the opening ceremony, which included a performance by singer MC Cheung Tin-fu.
And the opening day was the first opportunity many experienced punters got to see the new facilities, with opinion divided on the latest phase of the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s (HKJC) HK$14 billion master plan.
But there was no denying the excitement many felt at the return of the sport, even if torrential rain greeted the opening of the gates at 11am.
A female staff member at the clubhouse level on the second floor was convinced the rain would stop as soon as it started, saying “it’ll be fine because we [HKJC] do a lot of charity”.
Those through the gates first had the 1,470 seats at the parade ring filled almost immediately, with Cheung greeted by some roaring cheers, notably from the reserved section occupied by his own fan club, as he got the opening ceremony under way.
The city’s leader, John Lee Ka-chiu, took part in the ceremonial lion’s eye-dotting ceremony and the gong-striking ceremony before the action started, the highlight of which was the Chief Executive’s Cup.
Watching the performance at the ring was experienced bettor Louie Ho, who said he had been a racing fan for nearly 40 years.
“To be honest, I am impressed with the new facilities, especially considering that they were exclusive in Hong Kong,” said the 53-year-old, who works in the banking sector. “The bettors would not stop coming even if the club didn’t do anything, but they were still splashing money to upgrade everything.
“It’s giving us some new experience, so it’s always a good thing. I think it can help attract the younger generation and overseas tourists.
“It wasn’t only the hardware, either. I used to read only the newspapers on race days, but now I also switched to using their new mobile application.”
However, a senior punter in his seventies, who would only give his name as Ng, said he visited Sha Tin Racecourse almost every race day, however, was less impressed with the new facilities.
“I cannot even say it’s a good thing, but it’s not a bad thing of course,” he said. “But these things don’t have any impact on local bettors.
“The younger ones also preferred football betting anyway. For us, we would have come no matter how the betting hall looks, it’s all about winning money coming here, so I’d rather they just show me the money.”
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