Dragon dances replaced racehorses in the opening of the Huawei Ascot Hong Kong Village as a part of Hong Kong Day at Ascot Racecourse in Ascot, Berkshire on July 27th 2008. Over 19,000 racegoers attended the event, which featured everything from fortune tellers to Chinese calligraphers to champion thoroughbreds all under a clear English sky, a perfect day to spend at the races.

Hong Kong Day at Ascot was a full and eventful day out for many British Chinese families, as they took in the sights and sounds of an event dedicated to promoting the city of Hong Kong and its culture. Along with activities for the young and old alike, the day boasted a high quality racing card that included the richest five-furlough race in Europe, the Hong Kong Handicap Sprint, with a prize fund of £70,000.

Ascot, lauded as the "world's most famous racecourse" has been the host of Hong Kong Day since it made the move from Sandown Park Racecourse in 2000 into a weekend slot, which would better accommodate families who wished to attend the event. Although this year the Hong Kong Jockey Club was not involved in sponsoring the event, traditionally Hong Kong Day at Ascot highlighted the long-standing and historical relationship between the two famous and influential racecourses.

According to Nick Smith, head of PR for Ascot Racecourse, this year Ascot worked in collaboration with China Now, a campaign to promote the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Yet he declared that the relationship between Ascot and the Jockey Club as being stronger than ever, as they continue to be partners in the Global Sprint Challenge.

Taking place in the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and Hong Kong, the Global Sprint Challenge included the King's Stand Stakes and the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and will conclude with the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint at the Hong Kong Jockey Club on December 14th.

Like its British counterpart, Hong Kong is no stranger to "the sport of kings", as its love of horses and horseracing is as much of a tradition as it is way of life with its greatest influence coming from its days as a former British colony. For many years, the island was a part of the British Empire until its transfer of sovereignty back to the People's Republic of China in 1997.

Despite the political and economic changes that have occurred in the last ten years, with the handover to China, Hong Kong has still maintained its passion for the equine as the Hong Kong Jockey Club and its name is attached to many things in the city.

From health clinics to schools, Hong Kong Jockey Club is not simply a racecourse or a place to bet on horses but it is also leading charity trust in Hong Kong. In its charitable mission, the Jockey Club has stated to support causes that promote sports, recreation and culture, education and training, community services, and medical and health, all in an effort to better the quality of life for Hong Kong residents.

Because of animal quarantine regulations, a decision was made to hold the equestrian events of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Hong Kong, as the Jockey Club has been actively gearing up for the event for the past couple years. In September 2007, the Hong Kong Jockey Club opened the Sha Tin Racecourse, a state of the art equestrian facility, which will be the host of the individual and team equestrian events that will take place from August 9th to the 21st.

"It is an exciting thing [the Olympics] to be held in Hong Kong," Smith stated. Praising the new equestrian facilities at the Jockey Club, Smith said that the they are excited and prepared to host this world-class event, as the Olympic athletes are more than ready to test out what the Sha Tin complex has to offer.