Horses were being gradually replaced by ponies from 1868 onwards, with Indian and Australian ponies included.
The Hongkong Derby was inaugurated in 1873, confined to China pony griffins. China ponies were now gradually coming into their own, various events in the following years being confined to them, and in 1887 only China ponies were raced. This exclusive use of the China pony continued until quite recently, when Australian ponies were again imported.
Of the names connected with the local turf there are many, and in the list a big proportion had to do with Jardines, whose successive taipans have always fostered the sport, with members of the staff prominent in the saddle, so that the East Point stables have been the focus of a great deal of local racing history ever since the first event was contested at Happy Valley.
It might be added that, unlike the other Crown Colonies, Hongkong has never had professional jockeys and has never lacked a sufficiency of keen amateurs.
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Two photographs are published to-day depicting the great fire at the race course at Happy Valley on February 26, 1918, when there was a large loss of life. Reference was made in the article on the history of Hongkong racing (see 18-9-33) to the temporary matshed stands which were erected each year, on the occasion of the big annual meeting, for the accommodation of the general public. It appears that one of the sheds collapsed, and caught fire when sparks from a stove were blown on to the matting and as there was a strong breeze at the time, the whole row of matsheds was blazing in a few minutes. The loss of life, confined largely to Chinese, and a few Portuguese was due in some measure to the panic that followed. More than 600 bodies were recovered, many unrecognisable. The meeting was abandoned; and a great deal of splendid rescue work was carried out, in which the Services, as usual, were prominent. That disaster spelt the doom of the matshed race stands.
At the back of Sookunpoo Valley, half-way up the hillside, stands a temple-like structure, with tablets giving the date of the disaster, erected to the memory of the Chinese who perished, many being buried together at this spot. On the anniversary, each year, relatives go to this place to burn joss sticks and say prayers for the dead.
It is one of the saddest episodes in the history of the Colony.
A most unique race programme came into my hands the other day. Printed on green sateen, it sets out the events and entrants for the third day of the Hongkong Races in 1863. The sateen is still without a flaw and the printing is clear as if executed yesterday. The tiny imprint reads "Printed at Noronha's Office, Oswald's Terrace, Hongkong".
Wondering why a race programme should be printed on green sateen, I carried it off to the offices of the Jockey Club. The secretary examined it closely and then offered this theory: In these days, the lady who presents the Ladies Purse to the winning jockey is handed a complimentary race programme, magnificently bound and printed on the finest quality paper obtainable. In the old days, the programme was printed on the
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