In the most significant move yet towards serious horse racing on the mainland, the Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Chinese Equestrian Association have announced a formal strategic cooperation to lay the foundations for a future racing industry.
A joint announcement in Beijing yesterday by the jockey club and CEA - an arm of the State General Administration of Sport - is considerably more important than any previous news regarding racing on the mainland as it carries the imprimatur of the central government.
The dawn of the HKJC-CEA partnership will be highlighted by a collaborative race meeting on November 7 to be known as the Hong Kong Jockey Club Raceday. Featuring the final leg of the China Horse Racing Grand Prix it will be staged at the Jinma racecourse in Wenjiang, just outside Chengdu in Sichuan province.
READ MORE: World racing's El Dorado moves one step closer
"Having been invited by the Chinese Equestrian Association to contribute towards the sustainable development of horse racing as a sport in China, we have identified key areas where we can take the existing footprint of speed racing to a new level of performance and regulation," said HKJC chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges.
"Assisting the CEA to build capabilities and processes to further develop and administer the sport with an advanced focus on integrity is key and it is an important mission we share with the Asian Racing Federation [ARF] and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities."
Developments in racing on the mainland have largely been, until now, isolated pockets of opportunistic local investment by individuals and groups of individuals, without the sanction or, sometimes, even the knowledge of the central government.
Those projects have been pilot-style annual or one-off fixtures with an eye on a day when the government might drop its gambling ban.
The Chengdu meeting is not seeking to have gambling permitted but has been described as a "branding" event which will seek viability through sponsorship alone.
Part of the jockey club's partnership role will be to advise and connect the CEA with outside sponsorship, but the club will also work closely in areas of racing control, drug testing, establishment of a stud book and the training of personnel.
"Through the sharing of our technical acumen and implementation experience, the club will work closely with the CEA over the next few years to enhance all aspects of racing control and regulations, with the goal of facilitating China's connection to the horse racing sport. This is a long-term endeavour," ARF secretary Andrew Harding said.
The Jinma racecourse was upgraded by the Dubai Racing Club, which staged a Chengdu Dubai International Cup day in April last year, using horses, jockeys and trainers specially flown in from Dubai. However, the HKJC meeting in November will use horses and personnel already based on the mainland.
"The strategic cooperation between the CEA and HKJC is a perfect match considering the vast development potential of the equestrian-related market of the mainland and the club's expertise in racing operations," said Ji Daoming, of the State General Administration of Sport.
