Alright I promise this is it, no more HKIR after this post. However I wanted to post some images that I like or have some special meaning from the week. These come in no particular order apart from the feature photo.

MAURICE

My favourite photo of the week is the feature image of Maurice winning the Mile. It shows him as the dynamic animal that he is:

• Great athletic stride
• Muscular
• Big barrelled, great rein
• Desire to win

A SHIN HIKARI

What a win by A Shin Hikari, kept churning out quick sectionals and spread the field out like browns cows down the back straight. There is something I like about a photo of a horse when he’s not got a foot firmly planted on the ground. Legendary jockey Yutaka Take had a polite salute going well out from the line (although he has nothing on the one served up by Karis Teetan in the first).

MONDIALIST and SATONO ALADDIN

There is something regal about the thoroughbred head. Mondialist shows that and the light on Satono Alladdin is something that appeals to me.

PREFEREMNT

To be honest this could have been any number of horses. Where else do you get a back drop like that at track work?

FABULOUS ONE (inside) and AMAZING KIDS

Sha Tin Sunday was a day-time meeting, but dusk comes early in Hong Kong and the last is run under lights. I left my camera out late by accident, and it was set up for a day shot. Craig Williams had a sit and steer job on the winner (Fabulous One), who is shooting up the ratings in a hurry.

MAURICE

Here he is again. Anyone with a functioning pair of eyes could see he was the most improved horse of the week in his work. Started the week a nervous muck lather, but was well settled by the end of the week. Well done to training staff getting him to settle. Got to love those braids as well.

YUTAKA TAKE

I gained a small insight into the reverence this man is held in. When he came of onto the track on A Shin Hikari a small contingent of Japanese screamed like school girls at a One Direction show. After the race I tweeted the photo of him signing autographs and it was retweeted and faved more times than any other photo I’ve put out there. I also found the above Twitter account dedicated to the great man.

PENIAPHOBIA

Nothing ultra special about this photo, but during the Sprint I had a camera malfunction, which means I only got one shot of the race. Thankfully it was usable so it makes the list.

HAPPY VALLEY

I love Happy Valley, it’s my favourite racecourse anywhere. The mixture of party goers, hardcore race fans, how close you can get to the action, atmosphere of the beer garden and of course the location. Throw in the tight turning track and it produces something that is just unique.

However Hong Kong turned on a fair old rain storm, enough to dampen anyones enthusiasm. It’s a shame for those that were there for the first time, as they didn’t get to gain the full Happy Valley experience. I guess they’ll all have to return.