Hong Kong to Offer Increased Purses

Prize money for the 2016-17 Hong Kong racing season will extend to another record level while purses for two of the Hong Kong Jockey Club's three spring group I features, the Champions Mile and Chairman's Sprint Prize, will be increased in the coming term. 

Hong Kong's racing season starts Saturday Sept. 3 and extends to 88 total meetings, up from 83 meetings conducted in each of the past seven years.

"The average prize money per race in Hong Kong is the highest in the world and these increases maintain our position as a world leader in the sport," said HKJC executive director of racing business and operations Anthony Kelly. "We are fully aware of the significant costs associated with importing high-quality horses to Hong Kong, and a boost to prize money is geared toward incentivizing our owners to continue to buy quality bloodstock while recovering the costs of their involvement in the sport."

The total amount of prize money paid for the 2016-17 season, not yet including the five additional race meetings, will reach HK$1.1 billion ($130,000,000).

The 2017 Champions Mile will carry a purse of HK$16 million ($2.08 million), a HK$2 million rise from this year's renewal won by Maurice, who became only the second overseas challenger to win in the race's 16-year history. The Chairman's Sprint Prize, elevated to International group I status for its 2016 running when won by the world's top-rated sprinter, Australia-based Chautauqua, will receive a prize money increase to HK$14 million ($1.82 million), up from HK$10 million. 

"Hong Kong offers racing fans and horsemen a remarkable fortnight each spring, and the 2016 runnings of the Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup, Champions Mile, and Chairman's Sprint Prize were exceptional. The purse increases in both the Champions Mile and Chairman's Sprint Prize are reflective of the quality and stature of these races," Kelly said. "We are confident these boosts will help maintain the attractiveness of the races and the continued visits of leading horses from overseas to take on Hong Kong's finest runners. These increases also cement the two races in the top five prize money races in the world at their distances on turf."

Both races are scheduled to be run on Sunday, May 7, 2017.