Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges had to reach as far as Japan to find a low light yesterday after a big crowd, strong racing and a jump in turnover greeted the banging of the gong for the new season at Sha Tin.
'Too bad that Lucky Nine doesn't have a bigger nose or this would have been the perfect day,' Engelbrecht-Bresges said, alluding to the Caspar Fownes-trained four-year-old's desperately narrow defeat in the HK$12 million Centaur Stakes in Osaka.
Acting Hong Kong Chief Executive Henry Tang Ying-yen wielded the gong effectively to send the season on its way before more than 62,000 fans witnessed the kick-off and voted at the windows for their favourite sport.
'It's been a dream start to the season,' said Engelbrecht-Bresges. 'Even if you take out the simulcast race, on which there was such a large increase in turnover, this was by every measurement the best start to a season since 2000-2001. It's an extremely satisfying result and the master plan investments in the course facilities have also met with approval. I've received plenty of favourable comment on those improvements from the owners' box. It's been a great day for racing.'
Attendance up 28.5 per cent year on year and turnover on the day up by 13 per cent to an eerie HK$911 million on 9/11 - including the Jockey Challenge but without adding the more than HK$16 million punters splurged on the simulcast.
And the action on the track let no-one down. Evergreen Joy And Fun was a popular winner of the HKSAR Chief Executive's Cup for Derek Cruz and jockey Brett Doyle, despite his double-figure odds.