Members dressing for the occasion
The Audemars Piguet Queen ElizabethII Cup is, like all big international race days, a highlight of the social calendar. The event is 'something to behold', said Mark Richards who manages the Racing Club, a social organisation for young movers and shakers with an interest in the racing scene.
The club will be hosting a best-dressed competition at the race tomorrow for members who have booked a table in the Racing Club's double box at the track. There are separate categories for men and women and, while there is no set judging criteria, the buzzwords are 'prestigious', 'stylish' and 'elegant'. Hopefuls should think of the theme 'Racing in Style' as they plan their outfits, Mr Richards said.
The club also hosted a soiree on Wednesday night for members and special guests at its Happy Valley facilities, which include a stylish oyster bar, fine dining restaurant and sushi bar.
All Racing Club venues at Happy Valley offer stunning views of the track unhindered by signs or boards and are contemporary, comfortable and stylish. The main bar features long stalks of grass embedded in its glass walls, long, dangling tube lights and silver bar stools, while the restaurant is in hues of grey with velvet-clad chairs and silvery drapes. The sushi bar, manned by gregarious chef Kasseki Toshitaka, is a sleek strip of white, with red rose petals in the glass table tops, a pale marble floor and red and white leather seats.
The club was set up last September and now has more than 250 members. Mr Richards expected the membership to rise to about 2,000 in five or six years.
While full membership of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) has a 10 to 15-year waiting list and is considered by many to be the most prestigious club in Hong Kong, the Racing Club aims to attract a younger membership and nurture potential future horse owners.
Mr Richards said Hong Kong had a large and lively racing scene and he wanted to keep it that way. 'The HKJC is well regarded around the world. At the Racing Club we see ourselves as 'watering' the younger element. Membership is strict, but we don't want to be too traditional or elitist - we keep the atmosphere light and lively on race nights with music between races, and our bar and restaurants are contemporary and stylish.'
The Racing Club's main home is at the Happy Valley racecourse, but members also have access to the large double box at the Sha Tin track. The box gets a little cramped on the big race days - AP QEII and the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby - but it is all part of the atmosphere - to dress up, mingle and be seen.
But the event is also, of course, about the horses. And while the Racing Club's horse Young Label was not quite ready for the AP QEII, Mr Richards said he is progressing well and should hopefully be able to make his debut in June.
