FEBRUARY 2019 THE HRONIS BROTHERS’ JOURNEY TO THE TOP DEAUVILLE’S SANTA LUCIA: LE PARADIS DES PIZZAS CHINA’S LAVISH NEW CONGHUA BARTON RACECOURSE THOROUGHBREDS A STAR IS BORN THE LAST WORD WITH TOM AMOSS The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s recently opened training facility in mainland China displays all the aspects of an impressive top-of-the-class racecourse that has left nothing to chance. By EMILY CHAN fter a three-hour ride by car centre not only mimics Sha Tin, minus the from Hong Kong, crossing the grandstand, but the facilities it offers are Shenzhen-Hong Kong border way above and beyond what Hong Kong and passing by the Guang- currently has – four racetracks together zhou Baiyun International Air- with an 1100-metre uphill gallop; 20 spell- Aport along the way, we finally arrived at the ing paddocks; a world-class veterinary Conghua Training Centre, the Hong Kong hospital equipped with an x-ray unit, an Jockey Club (HKJC)’s latest investment in exam room, and operating suites; and a Guangdong Province in Southern China. rehabilitation unit that includes salt-water The lavish Conghua Training Centre is spas and an aqua treadmill to treat injured one of the most expensive investments horses. Louis Romanet, Chairman of the the HKJC has undertaken since build- International Federation of Horseracing ing Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong Authorities, described the Conghua site 40 years ago. The HK$3.7 billion training as “truly exceptional” while Racing Austra- lia Chief Executive Officer Barry O’Farrell The site was built with the vision to take summed it up as “world class and revolu- Hong Kong racing to the next level and to tionary.” create a more spacious and relaxed train- "In the early stages, there was a bit of re- ing environment for Hong Kong racehors- luctance among owners and trainers about es, while still maintaining the longstand- training horses at Conghua, primarily be- ing principle that Sha Tin is the home cause of the distance from Hong Kong base. Hong Kong is one of the world’s coupled with a fear of the unknown," said most densely populated areas and the Bill Nader, director of racing business and city’s skyrocketing property prices mean operations of the Hong Kong Jockey Club. that there is literally no place in Hong "But the early results have been so encour- Kong to allow the Club to build additional aging that our important stakeholders training facilities. After searching for suit- not only accept Conghua as a world-class able land for 20 years without success, training centre, they now embrace it." the Hong Kong Jockey Club finally solved the issue with the site in Conghua. There are currently nine trainers in Hong Kong who train horses out of both Conghua and Hong Kong, and horses are shipped to Sha Tin two days before running. Conghua sits on land used during the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, which the HKJC supported for equestrian competition. Site development work commenced the following year and the 150-hectare train- ing centre located some 200 kilometres north of Hong Kong was officially opened August 28, 2018. The facility is located in the northeast of the megalopolis of Guangzhou, and the region is famous for its hot springs and lychee farms. Air in the region is fresh and it is an ideal environ- ment for horses to rest and take a break, or for newly imported horses to acclima- tize before running at Sha Tin. There are a total of 11 stable blocks, nine of which are for horses currently racing. Five of the sta- ble blocks are single-story stables, each housing 68 horses. Double-story stables are each capable of accommodating 120 horses. Conghua can house up to a max- imum of 660 Thoroughbreds and there is room for expansion. The site currently has 160 racehorses and the Club is looking to expand to a capacity of over 300 in 2019, with more planned beyond that. Movement of horses between Hong Kong and mainland China means that bi- osecurity measures at the site are at the heart of the Club’s top priority. The Club and the government veterinary services of Hong Kong and China have established strict regulations and procedures to pre- vent outbreak of infectious diseases, and specific measures have been established for visitors. The biosecurity zone is the only internationally recognised Equine Disease-Free Zone in mainland China. The whole Conghua site is surrounded by high electric fences to prevent wild an- imals from entering the site and getting near the Thoroughbreds. The entrance to the site is nicknamed “Jurassic Park” for its high level of security. Upon arrival at the Conghua Racecourse entrance, our THE AUTHOR, at left, ready to pass through the biosecurity entry point car was enclosed between two electric ing owners, trainers, jockeys, and training gates and underwent a wheel wash and an staff. The Club also maintains a strict no- external disinfectant spray wash before same-day entry policy where all the visi- the gate reopened for our car to enter the tors must sign a declaration form stating site. We then parked our car in a dedicat- that they have not visited any other equine ed car park outside the stable compound facilities in mainland China for 24 hours and we were asked to get out of the car to prior to visiting Conghua. go through the biosecurity entry point. In- In addition, no other horses are ternal transport at Conghua is only either allowed within fve kilometres by bicycle, golf cart, or on foot within the of Conghua, or within one ki- stable complex. lometre on either side of any We were then asked to wear a protective road used to transport overcoat, and have our hands and shoes horses from Sha Tin disinfected to minimize the risk of con- to Conghua and vice tamination. This is a strict policy by which versa, and the race- all visitors to Conghua must abide--includ- horses are shipped “The early results have been so encouraging that our important stakeholders not only“ accept Conghua as a world-class training centre, they now embrace it. down to Sha Tin on specially designed and of them recruited locally and who had no disinfected floats. previous horsemanship knowledge. To The training centre has a turf track sup- contribute to the development of equine porting races from 1200 metres to 2400 sports in mainland China, the Club provides metres and two all-weather dirt tracks in- training for these local staff to become side. It also has an 1100-metre uphill grass work riders and horse grooms, and ex- gallop, the first of its kind in the mainland tends to a longer-range vision of develop- and Hong Kong. The uphill gallop consists ing veterinary personnel. The training that of a 1.54% climb from start to finish along the staff goes through is similar to what the the hill overlooking the whole Conghua Club provides to its staff in Hong Kong. complex. Trackwork commenced at 6 a.m. Beside the racetrack is a parade ring, the the morning we were there. There are cur- broadcasting centre, the weighing room, rently 500 stable staff in Conghua, most a medical room for injured riders, and a stewards’ room–everything built to a high meetings were held in an area now known specification to mirror the facilities at Sha as People’s Square in Shanghai. In 1930s Tin. Since there is no grandstand, tempo- and 40s, the SRC’s activities were affected rary facilities will be rolled out for the Club during foreign invasions and civil war, and to host its first exhibition races March 23. the sport came to an official end in 1949 These exhibition races will incorporate ev- when the Communist Party shut it down. The ery aspect of Hong Kong racing apart from site of the racecourse and club buildings betting, which is not allowed in mainland have been subsequently replaced by oth- China. er buildings. Over the years, various pro- Although gambling on horse racing is posals to get horse racing up and running banned, the sport itself existed in China as a sport in Hangzhou, Guangzhou, and long ago. Take the Shanghai Race Club Nanjing have floated but none has suc- (SRC); it was established in 1862 and race ceeded. Nowadays, there are ractracks with regular racing from Wuhan to Inner is not for introducing racing with betting,” Mongolia, but all lack the infrastructure, said the Club’s Chief Executive Officer track management, veterinary expertise, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges. “Nowadays and technology of leading racing jurisdic- under the Greater Bay Area, there is a very tions. In April 2018, the Chinese government strong collaboration between Hong Kong announced that it would support the de- and Guangdong. This Equine Disease-Free velopment of horse racing in Hainan prov- Zone is an extremely great opportunity, a ince in China, along with various types of catalyst for the development of an equine sports lotteries. However, there was no in- industry in China which would incorporate dication in the announcement that racing equestrian sport and horse racing, and we in Hainan would allow betting. are not talking about betting. It is about the “However, our development in Conghua equestrian sport of horse racing, which in a way which we can leverage. This is why Special Stars in the International Jock- we took significant time to establish it and eys’ Championship, as well as the Danny it has been accepted worldwide.” Shum-trained Regency Legend on the day Although it has officially been in oper- of the 2018 Longines Hong Kong Interna- ation fewer than six months, the Club's tional Races.