It's horses for courses this lunar year as the Hong Kong Jockey Club is all fired up to make the most of an animal on which so much of its fortunes ride on.

That has seen it launch a year-long campaign that is designed to serve as a community celebration of the Year of the Horse, a tourist attraction and a platform to promote horse-related and community sports development.

Speaking on RTHK's Backchat programme, Caroline Emery, manager of public affairs (corporate communications and projects) at the club, said the campaign would feature a wide array of cultural, family and community events, starting with the Lunar New Year holiday.

"The idea behind this campaign is to celebrate that profound bond between horses and humans and the special role of the horse in both Chinese culture and Hong Kong's own history," Emery said.

Launched in January, the campaign includes major race days, international equestrian spectacles and a diverse lineup of cultural, sporting and family-oriented activities.

Horse racing, Emery noted, is the city's most popular spectator sport, and many of this year's events are expected to boost tourism.

"We've got the BMW Hong Kong Derby coming up in March, the FWD Champions Day in April and the Longines Hong Kong International Races," she said.

"They already attract the world's best jockeys, the world's best horses and international visitors will come and see these."

The Jockey Club's Year of the Horse Raceday will take place on Thursday at Sha Tin Racecourse.


Edited by Tony Sabine