Michael Kent calls it the 'greatest thing to happen to racing in this region'. That's the perspective from the normally understated trainer of the real significance of next Sunday's inaugural Hong Kong-Macau Trophy, to be staged at Sha Tin.
The Trophy, a major step in healing the Delta Divide, is not just another horse race. It may represent the dismantling of the Berlin Wall of Asian horse racing scene. It is the first hard evidence of co-operation between the Macau Jockey Club and its big brother on the other side of the Pearl River delta, the all-powerful Hong Kong Jockey Club, and it seems there's much more to come.
When it comes to power, there has never been any real balance between the HKJC and the MJC. With more than a century of history, an annual wagering turnover of $72 billion, an annual contribution to charity of $1 billion and a list of stewards that represents the upper echelons of Hong Kong society, the Hong Kong Jockey Club has clout with a capital C.
But from humble origins, the Macau Jockey Club has grown significantly. It only came into existence in 1989, following the conversion of the ill-fated and financially-troubled Macau Trotting Club, but things really got serious after 1991 when the club was purchased by a consortium headed by casino tycoon Dr Stanley Ho Hung-sun.
But for the 12 years from Ho's takeover until 1993, the relationship between the clubs has been characterised by antagonism with a capital A.
Looking back, it was not just the financial muscle of Dr Ho - rated by Forbes Magazine last year as the 303rd richest man in the world, with a net worth of US$1.4 billion - but rather his business and negotiating skills that enabled Macau to stay in the race with Hong Kong and not be completely crushed.