Opinion | The wealth divide: lifetsyles of the wealthy and not so famous
Eagle Regiment’s Group One win on Sunday was not only a training triumph for Manfred Man Ka-leung, but also a credit to connections who have allowed the five-year-old to properly recuperate after being injured.
Patience and loyalty might be rare commodities within the closed shop that is the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s ownership ranks, but being exceptionally wealthy certainly isn’t.
Eagle Regiment’s Group One win on Sunday was not only a training triumph for Manfred Man Ka-leung, his sprinter returning after nearly a year away from racing, but also a credit to connections who have allowed the five-year-old to properly recuperate after being injured.
Owners’ outlandish demands clearly aren’t driven by financial necessity in this part of the world, but usually by a lack of horse sense and a culture that expects instant results. So while we’re guessing the Eagle Regiment team aren’t in need of a quid, it’s admirable all the same that they allowed their horse time off.
Hong Kong is unique in that you can’t just buy a horse, find a trainer and begin racing, like you can in most places. You need a permit, and the only way to get one is to pay a lot to become a Hong Kong Jockey Club member and win one in a ballot.
Either that or rock up to International Sales with a very big cheque book and buy an essentially untried three-year-old at auction.
They say there’s a big difference between being rich and wealthy. A rich man owns a garage full of expensive cars, but a wealthy man, he owns the company that makes the cars.