Jockey Club officials were delighted with the attendance at Sha Tin last night despite the rival attraction posed by the fireworks display at the harbour.
There were just over 37,000 on course and in total 44,000 with the cross-betting fraternity at Happy Valley taken into account.
'This is excellent, we are extremely pleased with it. I said before that our normal attendance would probably be up to maximally 45,000,' said Jockey Club information secretary, Wilson Cheng.
The Club were not concerned about roads being closed in and around the harbour and were satisfied that their own customers would be able to make their way to the course.
'I knew from the time I stepped on to the course that the crowd would be well up to our expectations. I actually think there were in excess of 20,000 here over an hour before we had the first race of the evening,' said Cheng.
We all like a party but loud music and horses do not go together and there were some decidedly edgy moments last night. Pop star Dave Wang was lined up to sing for the assembled thousands and appeared on the back of a retired racehorse - minus a helmet, it can be said.
After a period of shutter-clicking, Wang walked the horse, with Jockey Club outriders front and back, towards the exit on to the main track. That seemed to be the signal for the music to begin and all three horses began to play up - as, of course, you would expect.
