Racing in Hong Kong in hot

humid weather conditions

How do racetracks and equestrian centres manage horses performing under very hot humid conditions?

  • Many racetracks and some equestrian centres in warmer climates are equipped with additional facilities specifically to help horses racing/competing to cope with the prevailing extremes in weather conditions. These incorporate both structural and operational systems, some more efficient than others. In some cases, a protocol is put in place by management, listing some precautions to be taken by the riders and trainers at certain times of year in order to protect the horses from over-heating in work, racing, etc. These include some basic commonsense precautions such as:
  • Restriction on times that horses can be worked, to cooler times of day.
  • Restriction on riding and exercising to a certain length of time.
  • Close monitoring of temperatures in the stables and air-conditioning to be turned on when temperatures go above a certain level, e.g. 30 degrees celsius.
  • Emphasis on raising awareness among riders and trainers in order to be able to readily observe and address any signs of distress in horses in work. For example immediate withdrawal of a heat-distressed horse from work and use of shade and a set cooling down procedure.
  • Emphasis also on ensuring to get veterinary assistance where the recommended protocol does not work.

    • Do these systems and additional facilities operate effectively where they are in place?

  • In this regard there are varying standards but one example of an effective system is at Sha Tin racetrack Hong Kong, which I recently visited on a race day with temperatures over 33C (90 F) and very high humidity and there appeared to be no noticeably significant ill effects on the horses racing. This was due to a large extent, to the effective systems and the extra facilities in place to deal with it.
  • The impressively set up systems at Sha Tin race track and stables, where approximately 1,250 racehorses train year-round and race on the adjoining track from September to late June, were constructed by the Hong Kong Jockey Club some years back.
  • The racehorses are kept in ‘5 star’ air-conditioned tiered stables and experience relatively few heat-related problems. The systems that are currently in place were adopted for the Beijing Olympic stabling at Sha Tin and proved to be quite successful. Competitors found that their horses settled into this cooler stable environment more readily than anticipated. But naturally, when the horses left the stables to train or compete, they sweated profusely (the horse's main mechanism to dissipate heat).
  • The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s equine hospital is on site, as also is a world class laboratory which is one of just four in the world accredited by the FEI.
  • The HK Jockey Club invested over €120 million, before the 2008 Olympic Games, in creating purpose-built venues for the equestrian events of the Games.
  • The work done then on successfully dealing with heat and humidity provided a wealth of information for veterinary officials and others involved in the world of equestrian sport.
  • The legacy which Sha Tin track has inherited is invaluable in this regard. For example the additional aids such as mobile cooling units, (on enlarged golf carts), fitted with hoses and bathtub-size plastic tanks full of cold water, ready to be driven, if needed, straight to overheated horses in need of a quick cooling. The water spray fans are also in operation in the winners’ enclosure.
  • Also there are rows of powerful fans fitted with water valves to spray the horses before and after they compete.
  • Green waste management for disposal of manure from over 1,200 horses etc is just a further example of features.
  • The barns are designed to maximise the benefits of the 24-hour air-conditioning system which have a set temperature of 23 C. Cool and hot air is prevented from exiting or entering the stable blocks by the provision of an air curtain. Additional circulation is provided by ceiling fans and the louvered ceiling windows. The stable-windows can be opened in case of air-conditioning breakdown.
  • Further additional precautions are taken in some circumstances, particularly for eventing. For example, in addition to the state-of-the-art mobile cooling units provided, other devices are placed at strategic locations around the venue, such as devices designed to spray horses and wipe off the water, and special blankets that can be filled with cold water, etc, for cooling horses.

    • Why is racing so popular in Hong Kong?

  • Thoroughbred racing is extremely popular in Hong Kong at Sha Tin and Happy Valley tracks, both central to this massively profit-making industry and a very demanding public. They attract an average of around 46,000 people per race card. The two Hong Kong race tracks, Sha Tin and Happy Valley attract two million racegoers each season and provide a fascinating scene. In addition to its exciting and uniquely Hong Kong appeal, there are huge rewards in prize money and in all that goes with the training of racehorses under the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

    • Is betting permitted in Hong Kong?

  • In contrast to mainland China where it is banned, betting is serious business in Hong Kong. During the 84 days racing at the Sha Tin and Happy Valley tracks, over €10 billion is wagered in this period through racegoers and off-course betting, the latter which of course being primarily the massive betting population in mainland China. The fever-pitch atmosphere of Hong Kong's racing scene is a unique experience. There are no (legal) bookmakers. All wagers are through a pari-mutuel pool and dividends are calculated by the totaliser in the usual way. Betting figures show turnover exceeding 101.8 billion HK dollars (over €10 billion), one of the highest in the world, and its average betting turnover per race is the highest globally.

    • Are there rewarding prize funds for racing in Hong Kong?

  • With approximately 840 starts per season, (Sha Tin and Happy Valley combined) horses race for hugely rewarding prize funds. On an ordinary day's racing which I recently attended, the 10 races, (mostly handicaps), had a total prize money purse of well over €1 million. The card had four races each worth approximately €80,000, one €60,000 race, three races worth over €100,000, one at €160,000 and one worth €230,000.

    • What are the track standards and race distances at Sha Tin?

  • Sha Tin racecourse, the larger of the two tracks, opened in 1978. It has impressive racing amenities rivalling any racetrack globally and is the home to all Group 1 racing in Hong Kong. It has both turf and dirt surfaces and is much more of a galloping track than Happy Valley. The turf track at Sha Tin is usually less prone to track bias than the dirt track (which is to the inside), although this can often change in very wet weather when the inside rail becomes cut up.
  • Races are run over distances ranging from 1000 metres (five furlongs), to a maximum distance of 2400 metres, (12 furlongs) with fields no larger than 14 horses. It boasts the world's richest day of turf racing, the Hong Kong International Race day annually in December, one of the biggest race days in Asia. Feature races held on the day include the Hong Kong Sprint over 1200m (six furlongs), Hong Kong Mile over 1600m (one mile),the Hong Kong Vase over 2400m (12 furlongs), the Hong Kong Cup at 2000m (10 furlongs) which is worth more than €2 million. It also hosts major international group races attracting top horses from around the world.
  • The venue at Sha Tin has the biggest outdoor television screen in the world. It also has the world’s first retractable roof over its parade ring which provides shade from heat and shelter from any heavy rains for horses in the parade ring. Its capacity is approximately 85,000 in the two grandstands - more people than on an All Ireland final in Croke Park.