Dubai-based organisers were boasting a "world first" in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Sunday when five races were held including the inaugural Chengdu Dubai International Cup at Jinma Lake Racecourse.
There was no betting at Chengdu, but the fact quarantine protocol was established - allowing horses to fly in and fly out for the fixture, believed to be the first time such arrangements had been made - had officials already claiming a level of success before the meeting.
The event was a joint venture between Meydan Group and the Chengdu municipal government, the Wenjiang district government and the China Guangsha Group. It featured horses prepared by Dubai Racing Club trainers and ridden by UAE-based jockeys.
"We had the safety of horses and riders as our prime priority when planning the race meeting, and thanks to everyone's hard work, everything has gone well," Dubai Racing Club chief executive Frank Gabriel said.
"Also, we had a good crowd and everyone seems to have enjoyed the day."
Royston Ffrench had the honour of riding the first winner on the card, Albayan, before bookending the meeting with victory in the 1.5 million yuan (HK$1.87 million) feature race aboard Mutual Force.
The British jockey gave the track a tick of approval.
"I've ridden all over the world in the last 17 years and the facilities here compare favourably with anything I've seen elsewhere. Everyone who's been involved deserves great credit," he said.
Former French-based handler Erwan Charpy had the unique distinction of bringing up a career milestone of 500 wins at Chengdu when Citizen's Charter beat stablemate Fa'iz in the Meydan Mile.
"I could never have imagined I would train my 500th winner in China, but it's been great fun, a great day, and we should compliment everyone who tackled the challenge of putting the event together. They have done a great job," he said.
Meanwhile, as a betting-free meeting went ahead in China, the commingling era quietly began at Sha Tin as American punters were able to bet into Hong Kong pools for the first time.
Jockey Club executive director of racing Bill Nader described the $2.7 million worth of bets, out of a total $1.193 billion, as "better than expected on the first day" as account holders through the TVG network got their first taste of Hong Kong racing.
"That number will grow as people become more familiar with the product, and by the time we get to May I'm thinking we could get double that," Nader said.
"We were holding a good amount early, but then the time difference kicked in. Race one held as much as three races for later in the day."
