RACEHORSE OWNER and businessman Gary Kam Shing-kan gets into galloping high spirits when talking about horses. He owns six, including Russian Pearl, one of Hong Kong's best-known racetrack names.
'I used to be on horseback jumping fences every weekend,' Mr Kam recalled. 'I would think: Wouldn't it be nice to have a horse of my own? A lot of my friends owned horses and they talked about their horses all the time.'
He and his wife Grace bought their first horse 10 years ago.
'I would love to spend more time with them, he said, 'but I don't want to disturb the trainer or distract the horse.'
Mr Kam, who owns the fashion chain Pearls & Cashmere and the Modern China Restaurants, was in Dubai recently, four days before the Dubai Duty Free, just to be with Russian Pearl. He was unable to be present at the race because it clashed with his daughter's wedding.
'My horses dictate my mood,' he said. 'I am tremendously excited when they enter a race. The thrill, the happiness and even the disappointment - these can't be described. There's nothing like it.'