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Murray Bell

The Hong Kong Jockey Club offered more than HK$1.4 million worth of prizes - including 88 gold horseshoes - to entice punters keen to try their luck at the first  race meeting in the Year of the Ox.
But these prizes and a giveaway of phone straps were not enough to stop a fall in attendance or betting turnover at Sha Tin yesterday.
While betting turnover passed HK$1 billion, it was down 7.46 per cent on last year. Just over 83,000 people passed through the turnstiles, a drop of 3.64 per cent.
Punters at the track said they intended to cut spending on horse racing because of the poor economy.
Peter Chu,  who visited the racecourse,  said he planned to spend only HK$200 to HK$300 on betting.
'I just want to try my luck during this festive season to see if I have the blessing from the god of wealth,' he said.
Fellow punter Chan Hoi said he would spend about HK$300 betting on the programme of 11 races.
'I don't come to the racecourse during the year and only  came with my friends today to celebrate the new year,' he said.
All those who passed through the turnstiles were given a set of phone straps of the four champions of last year's Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races and asked to turn wheel of fortunes near the  entrance for their chance to win prizes.
An exhibition  featuring a giant handmade gold horseshoe, the largest of its kind in Hong Kong, with gold display items by a jewellery chain store - worth more than HK$5 million - attracted many visitors to the track's concourse. The gold horseshoe was valued at HK$1.5 million and weighed 60 taels (2.26kg).
Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen and  Jockey Club chairman John Chan Cho-chak opened the race day. Liza Wang and Raymond Lam performed  festive songs, and there was a grand carnival parade down the home straight after the final race.
The action on the track was headlined by a treble for jockey Weichong Marwing, while the Chinese New Year Cup was won by 5-1 chance Regency Dragon, ridden by Christophe Soumillon for trainer David Ferraris.
Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said the day was a 'great success in the current circumstances'.  He said from next week, the  Jockey Club would report the gross margin on each race rather than the turnover. 'The turnover figure is too misleading for many people and makes them think the Jockey Club is making all this money for  itself,' he said.
More than 80 per cent of turnover  was returned to the punters as dividends and the balance  was the 'gross margin', he said.
The gross margin yesterday was HK$176.8 million, of which the government took  HK$128.2 million.
The remainder was used to pay for the show, he said.



Golden gifts fail to stop punters betting less as Jockey Club welcomes new year