FWD becomes the new Champions Day title sponsor

HONG KONG, CHINA -�Media OutReach - 10 January 2019 – The Hong Kong Jockey
Club today announced pan-Asian insurer FWD as the new title sponsor for FWD
Champions Day, one of the world’s top 10 richest race days.

 

FWD
Champions Day is scheduled for Sunday 28 April at Sha Tin Racecourse and the
marquee fixture will carry prize money of HK$70 million across its 10 races.
The premier day’s three Group 1 feature contests are the HK$24 million FWD
Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m), the HK$18 million FWD Champions Mile (1600m)
and the HK$16 million Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m).

 

Each
of the three Group 1 contests on FWD Champions Day ranks among the
International Federation of Horseracing Authorities’ (IFHA) World’s Top 100
Group 1 Races.

 

Mr.
Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer at the Hong Kong Jockey
Club, said: “The Jockey Club and FWD share similar values and we are delighted
to welcome them as title sponsor to this exciting event. Hong Kong racing is
high-end lifestyle entertainment synonymous with the style and pace of the
city. This event continues our effort to raise the Hong Kong brand globally and
I would like to take this opportunity to thank FWD for joining us in this new
partnership.”

 

Mr.
Ken Lau, FWD Managing Director of Greater China and Hong Kong Chief Executive
Officer, said: “Horse racing is one of Hong Kong’s most established and
world-class activities, and the unique atmosphere created by Hong Kong racing
alongside the city’s dynamism attracts a huge fan base. We’re proud to partner
with the Hong Kong Jockey Club to host the new FWD Champions Day and together we
hope to bring a new level of racing excitement to local and international
audiences.”

 

Last
year marked the first time that the Hong Kong Jockey Club staged Champions Day.
The Club made a strategic decision to present three of its most prestigious
Group 1 contests on one race day, creating another championship occasion to
complement its globally-renowned LONGINES Hong Kong International Races, staged
in December each year.

 

The
inaugural Champions Day saw Pakistan Star perform brilliantly to win the QEII
Cup. Hong Kong’s popular galloper joined an esteemed list of past winners that
includes international stars such as Japan’s Neorealism, Rulership and Eishin
Preston, Germany’s Silvano, and Jim And Tonic from France, while locally-trained
champions on the honour roll include Werther, Ambitious Dragon, Viva Pataca and
Vengeance Of Rain.

 

The
Champions Mile has an equally prestigious roll-call of past winners, notably
Japan’s champion Maurice, South African star Variety Club and Hong Kong greats
Able Friend and Good Ba Ba, while the 2018 renewal went to a horse still in
process of creating an impressive legacy, the brilliant Beauty Generation.

 

Ivictory
fulfilled his potential as one of the world’s most exciting young sprinters
when winning the Chairman’s Sprint Prize. The contest was opened to
international competition as recently as 2016 and has produced stellar results
– Australian champion Chautauqua won that initial G1 version. Previous winners
include Hong Kong’s world champion sprinters Silent Witness and Sacred Kingdom.

About The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class
racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club
has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse
entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and
charities and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates
economic and social value for the community and supports the Government in
combatting illegal gambling. In 2017/18, the Club made a record return to the
Government of HK$22.6 billion in duty and profits tax and contributed HK$1.2
billion to the Lotteries Fund. Approved charity donations were HK$4.2 billion.
The Club is Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer and one of the city’s major
employers. Its Charities Trust is also one of the world’s top ten charity
donors. The Club is always “riding high together for a better future”
with the people of Hong Kong. Please visit www.hkjc.com.

 

About FWD Hong Kong & Macau

FWD Group spans Hong Kong & Macau, Thailand, Indonesia,
the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and Japan. In Hong Kong, FWD offers life
and medical insurance, general insurance, employee benefits, and financial
planning. The life insurance and general insurance operating entities have been
assigned strong financial strength ratings by international rating agencies —
FWD Life Insurance Company (Bermuda) Limited is rated “A3” by Moody’s and “A”
by Fitch; and FWD General Insurance Company Limited is rated “A” by Fitch.

 

FWD is focused on creating fresh customer experiences, with
easy-to-understand products, supported by digital technology. Through this
customer-led approach, FWD aims to become a leading pan-Asian insurer that
changes the way people feel about insurance.

 

Established in Asia in 2013, FWD is the insurance business
of investment group, Pacific Century Group.

 

For
more information please visit WWW.FWD.COM.HK
and WWW.FWD.COM.MO.