The Valley is excited to yet again collaborate with the ACJC to present the Chinese New Year race night in what promises to be another night of colour, traditional entertainment, delicious Asian inspired food trucks and of course racing!
This year the celebrations promise to be bigger and better than last year’s event, with more food trucks serving delicious food all night on the main lawn, more exciting entertainers on the main stage and roaming the track, massive giveaways thanks to Cathay Pacific Airlines and plenty of activities for the kids. There will truly be something for everyone at The Valley as we welcome in the Year of the Rooster.
One of the highlights last year for The Valley was hearing the main race called in Mandarin. A last minute Twitter call by our team landed us with the absolute pleasure of meeting Jamie Pi. Needless to say we were blown away and have invited him back for another year at The Valley. Here’s what he had to say about his experience at the event last year and what his most looking forward to this year.
This will be your second time calling at The Valley for the Chinese New Year event, how did you find the race calling experience last year?
Last year’s race calling was my first ever; it was very intense and nerve-racking. However, it was also exciting and remains one of the highlights in my involvement in sport and entertainment thus far. I have always admired race callers for the way they bring the excitement to their audiences, and to be able to experience calling it myself was an absolute thrill for me. The preparation and the actual call, and all the pressure of not mucking up that comes with it, is definitely one of the hardest things I had to do…and I’ve crammed for a lot of exams before!!!
This year you’re stepping it up a notch and calling the entire card for the RSN Carnival App, how are the nerves ahead of that?
Having experienced it last year and knowing what to expect to a certain degree, I’m a lot better prepared mentally to tackle this step up. There’re still a lot of nerves, but I’m ready for the challenge. In a way, it is great to call the whole card, work my way through to the main event and get myself up and about early, will help settle the nerves.
What was the highlight of the event last year? What are you looking forward to most this year?
The buzz around the track on a magnificent night of racing was absolutely fantastic last year, and I’m certainly looking forward to seeing that again. Without a doubt this year’s event will be even better. Last year I was walking around with crutches and a moonboot in aid of a broken ankle, so I’m also looking forward to climb up to the race caller’s box aid free this time around!
Last year was so successful in the collaboration of night racing and the Chinese community. Why do you think this worked so well?
The Chinese communities are in the middle of our traditional festive season, and we are looking for entertainment where the whole family can enjoy. The Valley and its magnificent night racing provided the perfect combination of awesome entertainment, exhilarating thoroughbred racing and a family friendly atmosphere, this is the reason that last year’s event was so successful and that this weekend’s event will again be a great success.
What would you say to the Chinese community who might be contemplating about coming out on Friday night?
I’d encourage everyone to grab your family and friends, head to the Valley on Friday night to enjoy a fantastic night out where there’s something for everyone. Come and experience the exhilarating feeling of thoroughbred racing, at a venue that is the jewel of our sporting city. We can get together to enjoy Chinese New Year festivities with food, music, and even some Mandarin race calling! See you at the Valley!!!
There’s no doubt Friday night will be an event the whole family will enjoy. Come join in on the celebrations of Chinese New Year and what night racing at The Valley has to offer.