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Spectacular Displays for Reunification Raceday
Leo Schlink looks forward to July's upcoming marquee raceday
01 June 2025
Hong Kong Reunification Raceday takes place 1 July 2025
By Leo Schlink
1 July, 2025 heralds a special day in Hong Kong with the 28th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the occasion is marked at Sha Tin Racecourse by the staging of the Hong Kong Reunification Raceday.
Aside from getting to witness some spectacular racing, attendees also get to spend a fabulous day out enjoying the on-course festivities and celebratory atmosphere.
Caption: The Honourable Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen, GBM, GBS, JP, President of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR (front row, fourth left), Lu Xinning, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR (front row, third left) and Pan Yundong, Deputy Commissioner of Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the HKSAR (front row, second left), The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Chairman Michael Lee (front row, first left), Stewards and Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (back row, first right) at the Hong Kong Reunification Cup 2024 trophy presentation ceremony
Run as a twilight fixture, the meeting’s feature race is the Hong Kong Reunification Cup, which was won in dramatic fashion last season by Manfred Man-trained Chiu Chow Spirit (潮州精神) under French jockey Alexis Badel.
In a contest befitting the occasion, Chiu Chow Spirit charged through a narrow gap along the rails to defeat Tomodochi Kokoroe (好友心得) by a short head and earn a PP Bonus of HK$1.5 million for his Owners.
Caption: Manfred Man-trained Chiu Chow Spirit wins the Class 2 Hong Kong Reunification Cup (1400m) in 2024 under French jockey Alexis Badel
“Brave horse, very good quality – he deserved this,” Badel said. “I’m very happy, Manfred has been a good supporter and I’m happy that they stuck with me on the horse and I’m happy that I could deliver.
“I was a bit worried about the draw because with the small field and from that gate (nine), I was worried about finding the right spot. But it worked out well, the pace was good enough and this horse has really got a great turn of foot – he can out-sprint the field,” he said.
The Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup is another of the feature races run on Reunification Raceday, signifying the joint commitment of Guangdong and Hong Kong to promote sports development.
The Hong Kong Reunification Raceday is an important occasion each year that marks the on-going achievement of Hong Kong’s most popular sport. As CEO Winfried Englebrecht-Bresges said as he reflected on the event last year, it signifies the “integral role horse racing places as part of Hong Kong’s image as a world-class city.”
Be sure to mark your calendars for the momentous occasion, pairing both breathtaking sport and entertainment for what will undoubtedly be yet another fantastic raceday at Sha Tin Racecourse.
1 July, 2025 heralds a special day in Hong Kong with the 28th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the occasion is marked at Sha Tin Racecourse by the staging of the Hong Kong Reunification Raceday.
Aside from getting to witness some spectacular racing, attendees also get to spend a fabulous day out enjoying the on-course festivities and celebratory atmosphere.
Caption: The Honourable Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen, GBM, GBS, JP, President of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR (front row, fourth left), Lu Xinning, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR (front row, third left) and Pan Yundong, Deputy Commissioner of Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the HKSAR (front row, second left), The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Chairman Michael Lee (front row, first left), Stewards and Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (back row, first right) at the Hong Kong Reunification Cup 2024 trophy presentation ceremony
Run as a twilight fixture, the meeting’s feature race is the Hong Kong Reunification Cup, which was won in dramatic fashion last season by Manfred Man-trained Chiu Chow Spirit (潮州精神) under French jockey Alexis Badel.
In a contest befitting the occasion, Chiu Chow Spirit charged through a narrow gap along the rails to defeat Tomodochi Kokoroe (好友心得) by a short head and earn a PP Bonus of HK$1.5 million for his Owners.
Caption: Manfred Man-trained Chiu Chow Spirit wins the Class 2 Hong Kong Reunification Cup (1400m) in 2024 under French jockey Alexis Badel
“Brave horse, very good quality – he deserved this,” Badel said. “I’m very happy, Manfred has been a good supporter and I’m happy that they stuck with me on the horse and I’m happy that I could deliver.
“I was a bit worried about the draw because with the small field and from that gate (nine), I was worried about finding the right spot. But it worked out well, the pace was good enough and this horse has really got a great turn of foot – he can out-sprint the field,” he said.
The Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup is another of the feature races run on Reunification Raceday, signifying the joint commitment of Guangdong and Hong Kong to promote sports development.
The Hong Kong Reunification Raceday is an important occasion each year that marks the on-going achievement of Hong Kong’s most popular sport. As CEO Winfried Englebrecht-Bresges said as he reflected on the event last year, it signifies the “integral role horse racing places as part of Hong Kong’s image as a world-class city.”
Be sure to mark your calendars for the momentous occasion, pairing both breathtaking sport and entertainment for what will undoubtedly be yet another fantastic raceday at Sha Tin Racecourse.
