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Varsity file photo To win once in a lifetime The Hong Kong Derby drives people crazy By Arith Leung The Derby is held every year in March by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. It is a crucial horse racing event to gamblers, jockeys and horse owners. Mr. Apollo Ng, a horse commentator in Hong Kong, said, “Each horse has one chance to participate in The Derby and the champion will get 57 percent of the total cash prize awarded.?/font> This year, the cash prize is expected to be as much as $10 million. The Derby originated in United Kingdom 220 years ago. It was initially a horse race between horses of two British dukes. It later developed into an international horse race. In Hong Kong, 4-year-old horses are eligible to run in The Derby. Based on the winnings of horses in previous races during the current season, 14 horses will be chosen for the race. Two thousand meters has been the distance for The Derby in recent years. Said Mr. Ng: “The starting point is in the vicinity of the audience when the distance is 2000 metres. The audience’s excitement is thereby aroused.?/font> Mr. Ken Wong, another horse commentator, said, “Since the length of the track is at least 2000 meters around the world, the Hong Kong Jockey club follows suit so as to conform to international standards.?/font> Nevertheless, the local 2000-meter track has a built-in unfairness. According to Mr. Wong, the racecourse in Sha Tin is different from the ones in other countries. There is a sharp turn immediately after the starting point. “The racehorses that are positioned nearer to the inner bend of the turn are better off.
Despite this unfairness, horse trainers strive to get the most out of their horses. Said Mr. Wong: “There are two kinds of strategies that trainers undertake in respect to training different kinds of horses for The Derby. “For the Private Purchase Griffins,horses that are bought and do not have any racing experience, trainers usually arrange a series of warm-up races.? These horses run in races of increasingly longer distances so that stamina can be built up gradually. For horses that have participated in races before, only a few races are necessary to get them accustomed to the racecourse in Hong Kong. A huge sum of money can be generated from the winning horse. Nonetheless the horse itself may pay greatly for The Derby. Said Mr. Ng: “The Derby is a tragedy.?/font> As the trainer has to boost the fitness of the horse to its peak within a few months, its stamina and fitness will drop sharply after the race. Said Mr. Ng: “One of the good examples is The Derby winner of last year?Keen Winner. “This season, its performance was very disappointing. In some races, it was the last horse to finish. “The 1998 Derby winner, Johan Cruyff,
didn’t win a race for 2 years after The Derby. It was finally sent to
Australia for breeding." |
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