The Hong Kong Jockey Club has "upped the ante on the international racing scene with significant prizemoney rises" for its Longines int'l meeting in December, the two spring int'ls and "upgrades to its top four domestic Group One races," according to Alan Aitken of the SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST. An extra HK$11M ($1.4M) in stakes has been "added collectively to the Longines meeting in December" -- taking the total offering to HK$83M ($10.7M) across the four contests -- with the Hong Kong Cup now "going to total stakes" of HK$25M ($3.2M), the Mile to HK$23M ($3M), the Sprint to HK$18.5M ($2.4M) and the Vase to HK$16.5M ($2.1M). The biggest lift of HK$6M ($770,000) "was reserved for the Audemars Piguet QE II Cup in April next year," which will now be worth HK$20M ($2.6M), while the Champions Mile "has been increased" to HK$14M ($1.8M). Jockey Club Exec Dir of Racing Bill Nader said that the increases were "in response to rising prizemoney around the world and to reinforce the branding and status associated with the Longines international meeting and the spring Internationals" (SCMP, 7/2).
