Divine inspiration sees spirited defence of new course

Fervent prayers are often muttered aloud within the sanctity of Happy Valley racecourse, but those pronounced yesterday held the ring of a higher authority than the usual Hong Kong punter. A dozen Buddhist monks, murmuring blessings and sounding wooden clappers, did their best to banish bad luck from the recently-revamped course after a series of nasty falls. The monks also sprinkled holy water on the track before completing the ritual with a three-hour prayer session.