The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) announced on Friday that a total of HK$20.8 million will be added to the Group 2, Quartet and First 4 prize pools for the Chinese New Year Raceday on January 31. This is a record amount for a single local raceday, with the additional funds being top-ups from the Club’s Jackpot Reserve. The extra prizes will be shared among the winners in the respective prize pools, with each winning ticket holder taking home a minimum of HK$3,500.
The HKJC’s supplementary prize pool allocations are designed to encourage more people to attend local races, while the extra money from the supplementary prize pool will also be used to support the Club’s charitable and community-related activities. The additional prize pool contributions are made possible through the Club’s Jackpot Reserve, which is funded by a percentage of the total amount of bets placed on local races. The Club’s Jackpot Reserve is a separate fund from its general betting pools and has the same legal status as the main betting pools.
In the past, a number of supplementary prize pool schemes have been adopted by local racing tracks to boost ticket sales and attract more punters to their racedays. For example, the Hong Kong Derby has offered a bonus prize pool of up to $1 million since its inception in 2015. The bonus prize pool has been increased several times over the years, and this year’s event will see a record total of HK$10 million.
As a result of the bonus prize pool scheme, some racetracks have increased their admission charges. However, most remain affordable, especially when compared to the prices charged at other major racetracks in the region.
Despite the difficult conditions, most local racing fans have remained enthusiastic about Hong Kong’s horse races and continue to show their support for the industry. This is evident in the continuing high turnover of tickets sold for the upcoming racing season, which is expected to exceed 1 billion.
Ahead of the opening of the 2023/2024 Shaw Prize season, the Hong Kong Science Museum will host a special exhibition to introduce this year’s Laureates. The exhibition will provide insights into the research journey of the Laureates, and showcase some of their remarkable discoveries.
The prize, sponsored by the BOCHK, is a recognition of outstanding researchers and innovators who have pioneered in scientific research and contributed to the transformation of R&D outcomes for the benefit of society. It aims to inspire scientific researchers and innovators in Hong Kong to persist in scientific exploration, build up a world-class R&D base in Hong Kong, serve the nation and contribute to the world. The HK$200,000 award will be presented at an awards ceremony in 2023. The full terms and conditions can be found here. Submissions from universities, researchers and innovative enterprises are invited. The deadline for applications is February 15. More information is available here.