The Griffin | Why Hong Kong racing needs the Champions Mile to return to QE II Cup day

All racing eyes around the world turn to Hong Kong and to Sha Tin on Sunday for the Audemars Piguet QE II Cup, a race that shapes as a gladiatorial contest between our best middle distance horses and international raiders from Australia, France, Japan and the United Kingdom.

But what if racegoers and punters weren’t just treated to an exciting QE II Cup, but also had the opportunity to see the mouthwatering clash between Able Friend and Luger in the Champions Mile?

Four years ago, that would have been the case, with both races run on the same day. But since 2012, commercial reasons have seen the QE II Cup run the week before the Champions Mile – a decision which may keep sponsors happy but takes away from what could be quite a racing spectacle, a day to rival the December international meeting.

Now’s the time for the Jockey Club to right a wrong and return the Champions Mile back to the same day as the QE II Cup – especially with the Champions Mile no longer having a sponsor.

In the end, that’s all it comes down to – sponsorship. It was BMW’s sponsorship of the Champions Mile which saw the races split, and despite their deal ending in 2013, the races have not been reconciled.

BMW came aboard as sponsors of the Champions Mile in 2011, and wanting their sponsorship dollars to go further, demanded their own raceday. Therefore, from 2012 onwards, the QE II Cup was run the week before the Champions Mile, and the 1,600m feature has been poorer for it since.