Royal Ascot Owner Profile: Simon Kwok
Considered by some to be a“leviathan owner” in Hong Kong, Simon Kwok is the Chairman and CEO of Sa Sa International Holdings. He has two doctorates in business administration, is a JP and holds a Bronze Bauhinia Star.
He is president of the Cosmetic & Perfumery Association of Hong Kong and a vice-patron of the Community Chest. Anyone familiar with Hong Kong racing would know that Mr Kwok names his horses Beauty-something although his horse aimed Royal Ascot is the Irish-bred London Icon.
Their son Patrick has branched out and established his own company, Derby, a tailoring brand offering stylish men’s suits at affordable prices.
According to their website, Established in 1978, Sa Sa has grown from a 40 sq. ft. retail space to become today's regional "beauty" enterprise and is now the leading cosmetics retail chain in Asia.
According to the "Retail Asia-Pacific Top 500" ranking of Retail Asia magazine and Euromonitor, Sa Sa is one of the top ten retail groups in Hong Kong.
Both are active in charities. Simon is an executive board member of the Hong Kong AIDS Foundation, while Eleanor is the honorary vice president of the Hong Kong Girl Guides Association. It is estimated that their networth is HK$1.19 billion.
His Irish Classic winning trainer Adrian Keatley is based at Rossmore Stables on the renowned Curragh in Kildare.
Unfortunately Keatley's Royal Ascot dreams for recent emphatic Navan winner London Icon are on hold as his promising three-year-old could be switched to be trained in Hong Kong rather than take up his engagement in the St James's Palace or Jersey Stakes.
Credit: Pallavi Shevade pallavi.shevade@secretaristworld.com