The heavy rain and thunder brought by the approaching Tropical Storm Tapah did little to deter racing fans in Hong Kong on Sunday, as the season opened in lively fashion at Sha Tin.
While the weather led to a dip in attendance and betting turnover, more than 43,000 fans passed through the gates at both of the city’s racecourses, and some HK$1.3 billion changed hands.
And Hong Kong Jockey Club boss Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said he was “very proud” of his team for putting on an event with the No 3 typhoon signal in effect.
Crowds, including a healthy number of tourists, started gathering at Sha Tin from 8am, no doubt also drawn by the appearance of singer MC Cheung Tin-fu at the opening ceremony, and the chance to watch the city’s best horse, Ka Ying Rising, in action in the feature race.
Ultimately, some 43,259 people turned out to watch, with 4,260 of them heading to Happy Valley and the comfort of the main stand. That total was 8.96 per cent down on last year, something Engelbrecht-Bresges said was “no surprise in this weather”.
