“Only Four Females”: Ahead of Hong Kong Horse Racing Championship, Oversight of Female Horses Discussed

Hong Kong has a dwindling female racehorse numbers problem. There are currently only four female racehorses in Hong Kong. Ahead of the Hong Kong International Races (HKIR), these numbers are expected to flourish. With the horse racing event being one of the most prestigious racing events in the world, this shouldn’t be too surprising. However, the problem lies in a different place, and if the plummeting numbers are to be addressed, then the root cause needs to be levied more importance.

World Horse Racing is a prominent Twitter handle that brings issues of the racing world to fans across the globe. The channel has recently shed light on the deteriorating female horse population of Hong Kong. The fact gets all the more bewildering considering that there are multiple female thoroughbred champs there.

Hong Kong’s female horses face a hard time adjusting to the city

Horses like Enable and Winx are extremely popular among racing fans in Hong Kong. Despite this, female horses rarely become the talk of the town in Sha Tin or Happy Valley. Smaller horses are an abysmal oversight in Hong Kong. While mares are widely popular in countries like Australia and New Zealand, Hong Kong doesn’t have a long history of using fillies or mares. This often leads to racing youngsters facing troubles during their apprenticeship.

Along with ignorance from Hong Kong owners, there are also no breeding facilities in the city. Furthermore, the humid conditions of Hong Kong don’t make it easy to bear the high maintenance of fillies and mares. Horses coming from overseas have a hard time adjusting to Hong Kong’s climate, which makes it more logical for owners to opt for geldings instead.

Geldings can race for up to 10 years, after which they have to be retired as per Hong Kong’s regulations. Even though there have been a number of fillies in Hong Kong who have competed at the highest levels, names like Sweet Sanette don’t frequently grace the fans’ minds.

A smaller number of fillies create considerable issues

The environmental issues don’t create a problem for only female racehorses. Star Jockeys like Kei Chiong have also mentioned that their training days were filled with troubles because of the absence of mares and fillies in Hong Kong. After a prolonged injury-induced restriction from racing, the legend got back to racing once again last year. She has a long road ahead to the top and we wish her all the luck.

Read more: Horse Racing World Unveils Stellar Lineup for Hong Kong Championship, Here’s the Full Schedule

Currently, G1 Placegetter, one five-year-old mare, and three fillies with light experience are all that Hong Kong can boast when it comes to its female horse gang. Hopefully, the situation will change soon and owners gain more interest in female horses in the coming days.

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