Held every Christmas to bring down a festive curtain on another exciting year of racing action, the Hong Kong International Races attract fans from far and wide. The Races are made up of four distinct events: the Hong Kong Cup, Mile, Vase and Sprint. This December, we at Motive Travel are flying out to Hong Kong for a week filled with racing and culture, and we want you to come with us! Take a look at what we have in store for you, then take at look at the four races you can enjoy over the special seven days – it’ll be like Christmas has come early!
Hong Kong Cup
The Hong Kong Cup is perhaps the most prestigious of the four, a Group 1 flat horse race that is open only to thoroughbreds aged three years and above. Adding to the special atmosphere that this race commands is the prize money on offer, with over AU$43 million expected to change hands over the course of the race. This makes it the richest turf race that’s played out over 2,000 metres, and the current champion is Japanese four-year-old A Shin Hikari – a horse that also holds the course record.
The Races are made up of four distinct events: the Hong Kong Cup, Mile, Vase and Sprint.
Hong Kong Mile
Not far behind the Hong Kong Cup in terms of prize money is the Mile, so called because it is run over 1,600 metres. With a pot worth close to $40 million, the Hong Kong Mile is the wealthiest turf mile race on the planet, and at the turn of the millennium, it was reclassified into a Group 1 mile event. The winner alone takes home over $2 million!
Hong Kong Vase
The Hong Kong Vase is the longest of all the International Races; the course lasts a full 2,400 metres. It was initially titled the Hong Kong International Vase when first inaugurated in 1994, but the ‘International’ part was dropped in 1999 for consistency with the Hong Kong Cup. Also a Group 1 event, the Hong Kong Vase grants a total of nearly $30 million to the top six finishers – not to be sniffed at!
Hong Kong Sprint
As the name suggests, the Hong Kong Sprint is a fast-paced race run over just 1,200 metres, with one turn involved. It also forms the final part of the Global Sprint Challenge, with the winner alone taking home nearly $2 million.
Be sure to get in touch with the team at Motive Travel to book your place at the Hong Kong International Races!
