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THE HK DERBY AND A MYSTIC JOURNEY FOR THE GOOD OF HORSE RACING

By Hans Ebert
@HansEbertMusic
Visit: www.hans-ebert.com

If Waikuku doesn’t win the HK Derby, someone close to me won’t be happy. And as misery loves company, this will mean sharing the disappointment and and going out for dinner sure to be a downbeat and hardly a fifty shades of grey evening.

This is why, I want Waikuku to win. This is my emotional attachment to the horse. Knowing how much winning this race means to her- her favourite horse racing in Hong Kong- and how it might spice up the relationship. One lives in hope.

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DOUGLAS WHYTE

By Hans Ebert
@HansEbertMusic
Visit: www.hans-ebert.com

He needn’t have done it. But he did. Made the time to come up to Adrenaline after the races on Wednesday night with two owner-friends to just give me a gift he had promised.

Well, it wasn’t “just” anything. It was a great gesture of friendship, thanks and said much about Douglas Whyte- to make the time and effort to personally hand me his saddle and goggles from his last day as a rider. And being Douglas, he insisted on wrapping the goggles around my eyes to create a weird Robocop vibe.

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A SURREAL SATURDAY AWAITS AT SHA TIN TODAY

By Hans Ebert
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They say a nudge is
as good as a wink
And that a big name
from Sydney
will be in Hong Kong
long before anyone thinks
He’ll add star power to
the trainers ranks
It’s really not that hard
to fill the missing link

Some say April
will see a big announcement
About a changing of the guard
Something Moore to
stir the pie?
With some Whyte sauce
on the side?
And what will Georgie say to that?
And is it really
that big a surprise?

The rumour mill goes round and round
There’s something new every day
Someone’s going
someone’s staying
And how someone’s gotta pay

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THE IMPORTANCE OF LOR AND ORDER

By Hans Ebert
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While Zac Purton chills out somewhere serving out the rest of his enforced holiday aka three day suspension, Silvestre de Sousa and Karis Teetan are apparently bobbing up and down to keep their rides on Dark Dream and Perfect Match, respectively.

Both riders were deputising for Purton at Sha Tin on Sunday, both won and both gallopers, especially the Frankie Lor trained Dark Dream, look like going to the uppermost of the toppermost, Johnny.

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THE MAGNET THAT IS HONG KONG RACING

By Hans Ebert
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In the end, it’s always about the money. And there’s nothing wrong with this. It’s nothing personal, it’s only business, though we now know this to be just a tag line and how, as Dylan once sang, “Even the President of the United States must sometimes stand naked.” Now there’s an awful visual.

Getting back to money, it’s what drives every business. At least today it is. Even the business of love and marriage. And horse racing. What’s the business model to horse racing? Create a race or races between a group of horses- a game of chance and consequences, where there’s big money up for grabs…if one wins. And there are various ways of winning. Some, not so obvious.

How one tries to get a slice of the winning pie is a form of business because there’s work involved. Even hobbies can become businesses. It’s about the money money money and millennials and oldsters and hipsters and more money money money and entitlement. And it works in different ways for different customer demographics. It involves the entire racing industry. Some racing clubs can be The Good Ship Lollipop. Others are The Titanic.

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TIME TO CHANGE FREQUENCIES, HKJC. PLEASE.

By Hans Ebert
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It was one of those rare- and often, Old Mother Hubbard’s bare cupboard- an all weather race meeting- at night and at Sha Tin- on a Wednesday. Yesterday. Golly gosh, Gee, I don’t know. Remember yesterday?

Those of us who live in Hong Kong, well, most of us, know what this means- eight races that one can either take or leave and, unlike a Happy Wednesday at Happy Valley racecourse, something that, especially on bilingual Channel 668 on NOW TV, takes one back to living with the folks and watching programmes like “Highway Patrol”, “Laramie”, “Bonanza”, Mrs Steed and when Roger Moore starred as Ivanhoe.

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AND NOW WHAT, KEMO SABAY?

By Hans Ebert
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The small stuff first: The real bummer about trying to find a winner at Sha Tin tomorrow afternoon is that Douglas Whyte doesn’t have a ride in the last. As has been proven, especially during the last two meetings, the Durban Demon has made these races all his. Saved his best for last like some of us do when playing Eyes Wide Shut. It’s kinky stuff.

Last Sunday, Whyte strolled home to win on Encouraging while on Wednesday night he made all the right moves to win the curtain closer on Dances With Dragons, a rare ride for trainer Peter Ho. And lest we forget, who won the last race of last season by “beating off” Joao Moreira and Zac Purton in one of the best finishes ever seen in Hong Kong? That is, a Happy Ending finish in horse racing.

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HONG KONG RACING: KEEPING THE HONG KONG DREAM ALIVE

By Hans Ebert
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Some people just can’t help being LOUD. And at the Champagne Bar of the Grand Hyatt, it was where many LOUD people congregated during HKIR week. Many from overseas. It was tough to take.

On Sunday, after the last race at Sha Tin had been run and horse racing’s “Woodstock Generation” was heading home came a booming voice how Hong Kong racing had “found its mojo again.” Maybe it had. Maybe it was just hiding. Often, it’s all about timing. Whatever.

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FOR PETE’S SAKE, PETE…

By Hans Ebert
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Pete,

New horse races, bigger prize money, being disruptive to be competitive, bringing in more and more elitism to horse racing, playing another round of Game Of Thrones, fine. It’s your gig. Doesn’t bother me either way. But when you prattle on about “younger people” and horse racing…

“Younger people” is not some alien race, Pete. They’ve been around since the world was round.

All of us were once “younger people”- inquisitive, difficult, belligerent, demanding change, making change happen. And then we grew up. And as grown ups, it was felt there was a need to act like grown ups. Most failed miserably. Look around.

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