While we often talk about new turbocharged prize-money meetings overseas and the effect on Hong Kong's international events and the recruitment of equine talent, the Magic Millions announcement probably wasn't one of them.
But it could be interesting from another point of view, especially with the 2015 Magic Millions sale at Australia's Gold Coast due to take place just over a week from now.
The Magic Millions meeting started in the late 1980s with just one rich 1,200m two-year-old race restricted to horses sold through the Magic Millions sale around the same time of year.
That has become an entire day's programme of races for three-year-olds, females and other specified groups at different distances, with the continuing proviso that only horses sold through a Magic Millions sale - they too have multiplied - are eligible.
What that means is that, at times, these races can be populated by horses whose owners are most unlikely to even dream about racing for big money except in those circumstances.
Now Magic Millions has announced its plans, in January, 2016, to put on a day offering more than A$10 million (HK$63 million) in prize money, putting it into the world's top-10 richest race days at current exchange rates, but still open only to a relatively small group of horses.
Hong Kong-based horses can't exactly get involved in the juvenile feature but there will be seven races featuring A$1 million or more for southern hemisphere-bred three-year-olds and older horses. To put that in context, it's more than the KrisFlyer Sprint in Singapore, but likely a far lesser grade of opposition.
We've no idea what quarantine provisions are being made, but you'd have to think it starts to become a very interesting equation for Hong Kong owners and trainers if they require only a horse of, let's say, Class Two standard in many cases to be competitive for what is proper Group One prize money.
Hong Kong owners are regularly active at the Gold Coast and the Jockey Club's international sale usually includes a handful of Magic Millions-bought horses; other recent winners to come from a Magic Million sale and be sold on here as Private Purchases include Master Kochanwong, Royal Partner and I'm In Charge.
We have become used to globetrotting superstars, but are we on the verge of a new era of horses travelling overseas in the same fashion to compete despite not even being Group standard? And how will it influence Hong Kong buyers at the Millions sale next week?
Why Zac Purton is better than Santa
Hong Kong racing has played the Santa Claus role leading up to Christmas this year, with favourite backers bang on the money lately.
The favourites have been winning at a fairly normal strike rate for the season overall, but things have cranked up before the holidays.
From the last 100 favourites, 35 have won; from the last 50 races there have been 19 winners and that only gets higher in the past couple of weeks. Of the last 30 favourites, 12 have won - 40 per cent - and that is well and truly above the norm.
A key factor seems to be the grip on the favourite runners held by top jockeys Joao Moreira and particularly Zac Purton. Between them, they rode the betting favourite in 189 separate races in 2013-14, but they are already up to 126 in just 260 races run this term and they aren't making many mistakes. Purton's strike rate on favourites is better than 35 per cent winners. So punters will face an unusual dynamic on New Year's Day with neither rider to back, as both are suspended.
Expect the doors to open to accommodate Rawiller
One man who won't be sorry to see the departure of Christian Reith and Andrea Atzeni will surely be Nash Rawiller.
While Atzeni's club jockey contract is still, at least technically, intact until the Licensing Committee has the opportunity to release the Italian from his agreement, in reality it is clearly all over since he has applied to withdraw from it. Nobody is going to force any jockey to ride if he wants or needs to go, whatever the circumstances.
So jockey numbers will be down by two on what had been intended, even with the return of Howard Cheng Yue-tin and the arrival of Maxime Guyon - who has already trimmed his stint back by just over a week even before his arrival.
Rawiller's own absence from the saddle through suspension has seen him virtually non-existent in a stint that began in late September, but some doors must open in the coming weeks. Not only has he two fewer jockeys chasing rides but Zac Purton rides on Sunday and is then out until the second half of January, which could create opportunities.
And the usual Licensing Committee meeting in mid-January, which announces the contract extensions and additional riders for the latter part of the season, has been pushed back to late in the month. That gives Rawiller a little more time to make his case for a contract extension through to the end of the season, if making a case is necessary.
Normally, sitting on four wins after three months of your contract wouldn't be a huge record on which to fall back, but the Jockey Club is probably as keen for a jockey of Rawiller's standing to stay on as he is himself and allowances will probably be made for extenuating circumstances.
The word around the traps is that the licensing meeting should also see the approval of a new apprentice rider, Jack Wong Ho-nam. Wong has blossomed since joining Lance O'Sullivan from the start of this year and already ridden 13 winners this New Zealand season to add to his 20 wins in the 2013-14 season there.
Since his approval can't happen before late next month, it seems we won't see him riding until February or March but the appearance of a new 10-pound claimer might cheer up those wondering where the pace is in many races these days.
