The Hong Kong Jockey Club basked in the success of its International Races yesterday as the quest continues to turn it into the turf world championship.
'Probably the only horse missing who we might have hoped to get here was High Chaparral,' said executive director of racing Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges. 'But the list of horses was outstanding and everything on the day - the racing, the atmosphere, the new Stride timing, the fireworks, even the weather - worked out perfectly.
'People came to see champions. In Falbrav and Silent Witness they saw them, and Frankie Dettori always adds something to the day. From our own point of view, the good results were more important as they proved that 2002 was not a one-off. Our horses were competitive right across the board.'
The Jockey Club achieved more of its targets this year, with America's world record-breaking Group One trainer, Bobby Frankel, bringing his first runner, and major owner-breeders continuing to embrace the fixture in growing numbers.
'We still would like to think we can improve the quality with the participation from someone like [trainer] Aidan O'Brien,' Engelbrecht-Bresges said.
Last year, the cry from the Jockey Club was for the likes of Precision, All Thrills Too and Olympic Express to establish the worth of the HKIR form on foreign soil. For various reasons, that didn't happen, but Engelbrecht-Bresges is hoping to see progress this time.
