Chinese owner wins England's top thoroughbred race

By Wang Kaihao (chinadaily.com.cn)

Updated: 2014-06-09

History was made when England's most famous thoroughbred race was won by a group of owners that included the first owner from a Chinese racing club.

Chinese Malaysian architect Teo Ah Khing and the China Horse Club based in Tianjin basked in congratulatory messages and celebrated after the colt they named "Australia" won the Investec Derby (2,400 m), earning prize money of 1.3 million pounds ($2.18 million) on Friday at England's Epsom racecourse at the derby's 235th running.

"This moment is so very special not just for my family, not just for the China Horse Club, but for China itself," Teo said emotionally after the Derby, at which longtime thoroughbred racing supporter Queen Elizabeth II also congratulated him.

"The race showed that Chinese can take on the world. That Chinese can succeed on the biggest of stages in any sports. From the number of journalists and the number of people who have been kind enough to congratulate us, I can say the world certainly takes notice."

Teo's club wants to create a full "equine value chain" of industries that will support a commercial thoroughbred industry in China. It is cooperating with Ireland's Coolmore, the world's major breeding and racing operator to have a breeding initiative in China, and has bred one of the best 2-year-olds in the current racing season.

In September 2013, the China Horse Club hosted the inaugural China Equine Cultural Festival, a 3-day event in Hohhot, the capital of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, which included China's richest thoroughbred race day and the first internationally endorsed race day.

"We hope that this success will help inspire other members of our club and other Chinese to try and excel in the sport of thoroughbred racing," Teo said.