Hong Kong is a massive success story - and I was there at the start of it

This weekend's Hong Kong International Races, once seen as a late add-on to the Flat racing year, have come to represent a major success story. An internationalist, non-protectionist parable, if you like.

It is 20 years since the Hong Kong Sprint became the last of the four flagship races to be elevated to Group 1 status – a key event in the evolution of a meeting that dates back to 1989. In the past two decades, the Hong Kong Jockey Club's outward-looking approach has paid handsome dividends.

The December raceday gave Hong Kong a significant presence on the international stage, but there was more to the HKJC's ambition than simply playing host to European luminaries such as Fantastic Light and Ouija Board. The aim was also to raise Hong Kong's racing to international heights so that its horses could not only compete but win at the top level.