by Dick Powell
Horseplayers know that international events can hold big fields and big opportunities to obtain a nice payout in competitive action overseas.
One popular stop on the international circuit is Hong Kong. Between Happy Valley and Sha Tin, the seasonal meets have strong appeal with the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s supervision.
Looking through data from the 2019 race meets reveals interesting tidbits that horseplayers could learn from.
The data shows that the races have large field sizes (12.76 for Sha Tin vs. 11.62 for Happy Valley) and competition is formful. Sha Tin offered larger field sizes, but Happy Valley has the higher percentage of winning favorites (32.28% vs 23.71%). This is probably due to the longer homestretch at Sha Tin which gives most horses time to find their best stride.
Hong Kong Race Data
- 255 races (one dead-heat)
- 65 favorites won – 28.8%
- 12.33 average field size
- $18.68 average win price
Sha Tin Race Data
Sha Tin has a turf course and an All Weather Track. They play remarkably similar.
The Sha Tin starting gate holds 14 runners.
- Total Sha Tin races: 158
- Average field size: 12.76
- Average win price: $18.42
- Average win percentage: 32.28%
- Total Sha Tin TURF races: 125
- Average field size: 12.97
- Average win price: $15.75
- Favorite’s win percentage: 31.71
- Total Sha Tin All Weather Track races: 33
- Average field size: 12.03
$27.79 (aided by a 176/1 longshot on 10/06/19) - Favorite’s win percentage 34.29%
Happy Valley Race Data
If you are a punter looking for the highest prices, Happy Valley provides the best chance with a very high average win price of $19.11 and a below-normal favorite’s win percentage of 23.71%.
The Happy Valley starting gate holds 12 runners.
- Total Happy Valley races (all on turf): 97
- Average field size: 11.62
- Average win price: $19.11
- Average win percentage: 23.71%
Next week watch for Dick Powell to look at the Hong Kong races from a class perspective.
