Hong Kong experience shows £9 million in prize-money doesn't buy you much horse

How many of you are aware that Hong Kong hosts its signature international raceday at Sha Tin on Sunday?

It’s a slightly loaded question, because the excitement that greeted the inaugural fixture open to European horses was such that the annual gathering seemed certain to resonate for decades to come.

That was back in 1990, when Hong Kong was seen as a sleeping giant among nations with designs on international competition. If the nascent concept worked well the Hong Kong Jockey Club, with its huge betting-generated income streams, had zillions to throw at a meeting that could blow rival attractions out of the water when it came to attracting the world’s best horses.