You've seen him on TV offering tips and equine knowledge. Now Mark Richards is working directly for the Jockey Club running its new The Racing Club. It's aims to draw a younger crowd to the races and the club officially kicked off on Wednesday at the racing season opener at the Happy Valley track.
'We aim to educate new racegoers,' Richards explained at The Racing Club, which includes a Soho-style bar, restaurant and sushi lounge.
'You have to think about younger audiences, whatever sport you're in. This is just the first step.'
To appeal to the young and affluent, the club has funky beats playing in the background, wine-tasting trips that will also include visits to stables, and web-based exclusives for the hi-tech generation.
The club also officially owns three horses with the hope it entices members to become full owners in the future. All of it, Richards hopes, is to make people appreciate horse racing as an end in itself.
'I'm not a gambler - never have been. I was a jockey before, so I wasn't allowed to bet, but I love this sport. That's what I want to instil more in Hong Kong. This is not just about gambling.'