Boghossian: The HKJC’s Hanane Sabri on life, horseracing and manifesting your dreams

Hanane Sabri, head of racing marketing for The Hong Kong Jockey Club, tells David Ho about her life journey, making horseracing an experience for everyone, and the power of manifestation

Despite being on a fast and just finishing a #legend shoot that lasted several hours, Hanane Sabri is still fresh and upbeat. “I can’t believe I just did a photoshoot at 49!” she exclaims as she sits down for our chat.

Even on the verge of turning 50, Sabri is still on a roll and finding new grounds to break. The photoshoot saw her rocking a range of exquisitely crafted jewellery pieces by Swiss jewellery house Boghossian, which she described as an “empowering experience”. “Coming from France and being of Moroccan heritage, arts and craftsmanship was something I grew up with and I find the mix, shapes and form of their jewellery to be outstanding. It reminded me of the rich influences and artistic traditions of the Silk Road,” she says.

Sabri is spot on. The Boghossian family are known for creating exceptional jewellery that combines the rarest gemstones with innovative designs drawn from inspirations that span the globe. In a way, the craftsmanship of the maison’s work parallels Sabri’s current work designing events as head of racing marketing for The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC).

“People love dressing up and are often decked out in their finest jewellery for the races. That’s very much in the culture and heritage of horseracing. When you look at beautiful jewellery like those by Boghossian, these are pieces I could easily see some ladies wearing to race day,” ponders Sabri.

“But on a deeper level, I’ve always been connected to craftsmanship and design. When I look at jewellery, I do see a parallel with horsemanship. Both involve people taking the time to design the perfect thing. Just look at the farrier, the blacksmiths who have to take time to create horseshoes in the perfect shape. All of it involves passion and hard work,” she adds. 

Sabri certainly dedicates all of herself into designing and making sure HKJC’s events are as legendary as any handcrafted jewellery piece. It is particularly important for the marketing of racing and racecourse entertainments to appeal to younger adults and grow their interests in horse racing, which has a long heritage. 

As a result of persistent cross-team efforts over a decade, the Happy Wednesday brand is now a highlight on the social calendar in Hong Kong, with its midweek merrymaking tailored to be inclusive of all generations and forward thinking at the same time. A mix of superb food and beverage options, exciting entertainment, new venues, social media-friendly features, and AI-led innovations have kept the crowds flocking to Happy Valley and Sha Tin Racecourses. A family-oriented person, Sabri credits her 22-year-old daughter for keeping her in touch with the trends and her seven-year-old son for keeping her looking at the world with fresh wonder. 

Putting these big events together requires a great deal of “resilience and discipline”, two traits that have permeated Sabri’s journey. It all started for her as a young girl, eager to join in with the bigger boys playing soccer. Thanks to her father’s encouragement, the lanky Sabri found that she had great athletic talent and eventually became an international track and field runner, representing France at various competitions. 

It wasn’t easy to train and maintain a strict schedule, especially in her youth when her peers were busy partying. But Sabri persevered and the resilience and discipline she put into her sport paid off and it has put her in good stead on and off the tracks.

“What I learned from the competitions was to put in the work, despite victory not being guaranteed. You are running against so many people and you can’t win every time. But you still have to try anyway,” she says. “What I want to share, especially with young women out there, is that if you put a goal in your mind, you can make it happen.”   

This can-do attitude, coupled with a manifestation mindset, meant that Sabri would go on to do big things in her professional career. After starting in Adidas as their youngest financial controller at 21, she was given an opportunity by her mentor to transition to sports marketing in 2006. Through this, she was able to support athletes through several Olympics events. 

Later on, she moved on to other roles in fashion for brands like Folli Follie and Kipling. These roles made her digital savvy and customer-centric, which have helped her immensely as the first female head of racing marketing at The HKJC. Moving through all these very different roles and industries has kept Sabri agile and on her toes. “You have to keep reinventing yourself. Each time you create, you have to re-innovate and adapt to new cultures, trends and consumers,” she says. “You must quickly understand how things work and why they work that way.” 

Yet, Sabri’s biggest takeaway through her varied career on what makes things tick is not just corporate steeliness nor fast adaptability. “The commonality in all these is emotional connection. Whether it’s products or people, it’s about building an emotional connection that is built on trust and authenticity,” she says. 

Thus, Sabri wants her legacy to be one of kindness and generosity. She incorporates this into her day-to-day life by checking in with every person on her team constantly and making sure that her workplace is aligned with her values. She is particularly proud that the HKJC, as Hong Kong's largest single taxpayer and one of the biggest charity donors in the world, has given much back to the city’s community. In 2023/24, the HKJC returned a total of HK$40.1 billion to the community, which includes HK$29.9 billion to the government in taxes and Lotteries Fund contributions and HK$10.2 billion in approved charity donations.  

Sabri’s next goal is to set up an orphanage one day. Given that her beloved father, who used to work as a miner and is an orphan himself, she hopes to help others in a similar position. “I would consider that I have achieved something in my life if I were to be able to open an orphanage. I am the daughter of an orphan. Even though I grew up in unprivileged position, I always wanted to help others like how someone has helped my dad,” she declares. “That sense of purpose and giving to others is what motivates me.”

Reflecting on her life, Sabri is grateful for how far she has come. “If you could see where I came from, you’d never believe this is my life now,” she says. With so many achievements under her belt, Sabri has every reason to be proud. But better yet, she is eager to pass the blessings on to those around her. To us, that shines as bright as any jewel can.    

CREDITS

Creative Concept: #legend 
Talent: Hanane Sabri
Photographer: Alexander Yeung
Videographer: Jessica Chan
Project management: Carmen Wu 
Photography Assistant: Victor, Kapo Lam
Hair and make-up: Li Kae
Jewellery: Boghossian

Also see: Digital Cover: Louise Wong on taking challenging roles and thriving under pressure