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Posted 2019-01-10 14:53:54  
Hong Kong Gets New Sponsor for April Races

The Hong Kong Jockey Club has announced insurance brand FWD as the new title sponsor of its Champions Day, one of the world’s top 10 richest race days. They replace the existing long term sponsor Audemars Piguet whose brand became  associated with the races in April. 

FWD Champions Day is scheduled for Sunday 28 April at Sha Tin Racecourse with prize money of HK$70 million across 10 races. The three Group 1 features are the HK$24-million FWD Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m), the HK$18-million FWD Champions Mile (1600m) and the HK$16-million Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m).

Each of the three Group 1s ranks among the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities’ World’s Top 100 Group 1 Races.

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, HKJC Chief Executive Officer, said: “The Jockey Club and FWD share similar values and we are delighted to welcome them as title sponsor to this exciting event. Hong Kong racing is high-end lifestyle entertainment synonymous with the style and pace of the city. This event continues our effort to raise the Hong Kong brand globally and I would like to take this opportunity to thank FWD for joining us in this new partnership.”

Ken Lau, FWD Managing Director of Greater China and Hong Kong Chief Executive Officer, said: “Horse racing is one of Hong Kong’s most established and world-class activities and the unique atmosphere created by Hong Kong racing alongside the city’s dynamism attracts a huge fan base … together we hope to bring a new level of racing excitement to local and international audiences.”

Last year was the first time Champions Day was staged. The HKJC grouped three of its most prestigious races on one day to create another championship occasion to complement its globally renowned LONGINES Hong Kong International Races, staged in December each year.

The inaugural Champions Day saw Pakistan Star perform brilliantly to win the QEII Cup. Hong Kong’s popular galloper joined an esteemed list of past winners that includes international stars such as Japan’s Neorealism, Rulership and Eishin Preston, Germany’s Silvano, Jim And Tonic from France and London News from South Africa, while locally trained champions on the honour roll include Werther, Ambitious Dragon, Viva Pataca and Vengeance Of Rain.

The Champions Mile has an equally prestigious roll-call of past winners, notably Japan’s champion Maurice, South African star Variety Club and Hong Kong greats Able Friend and Good Ba Ba, while the 2018 renewal went to a horse still in process of creating an impressive legacy, the brilliant Beauty Generation.

Ivictory fulfilled his potential as one of the world’s most exciting young sprinters when winning the Chairman’s Sprint Prize. The contest was opened to international competition as recently as 2016 and has produced stellar results – Australian champion Chautauqua won that initial G1 version. Previous winners include Hong Kong’s world champion sprinters Silent Witness and Sacred Kingdom.  

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