Thirty-five years ago, the international racing scene was relatively quiet. Nothing like today. No G1 Dubai World Cup, no G1 Breeders Cup in America, no G1 Japan Cup, no G1 Arlington Million, no British Champions Day, while G1 Arc day in Paris was more about one big race, not a feast of G1s on one card.

And, there was certainly no Hong Kong International Raceday, the showcase meeting that has become the Grand Finale in global racing.

Initially, the proud local boast that Hong Kong was staging the 'Turf World Championships' was viewed with scepticism in certain quarters, but not anymore.

Sunday's meeting at Sha Tin features four G1 races, over traditional distances, with more than US$10 million in prizemoney on offer for just those four key events alone.

Also, it is truly international - Japan sends many of her best, and Australia and New Zealand get an opportunity to line up against the Europeans on a track that favours them.

Above all, though, the meeting will take place on turf that will ride on the fast side of good. In other words, the races are to be run in conditions perfect for fairly testing the relative merits of top racehorses, which is paramount for such a meeting.

By luck or design, Hong Kong's big day is in December - don't forget, it had been difficult to find a slot in the world racing calendar that suited and, more often than not, the weather is kind. Months away from the typhoon season, and with the winter chill not having set in, pleasant conditions usually prevail.

General Guy Watkins is credited with introducing the international element to Hong Kong. There had been jockeys' invitation races from the start of professional racing in Hong Kong in 1971, but the first foreign horses, from Singapore and Malaysia, came to race in 1989.

The evolution of the Hong Kong International Races has been spectacularly successful, and this year's edition could be one of the very best.

For me, the appearance of Japanese-trained Maurice in the G1 Hong Kong Cup, over 2,000m, will be a highlight. He was brilliant in winning the G1 Hong Kong Mile last year, and then returned to land the G1 Champions Mile over four months later.

He recently won the G1 Tenno Sho Autumn, proving that he can win over the trip he will tackle for only the third time this Sunday.

Globetrotting Highland Reel attempts back-to-back wins in the G1 Vase and has an excellent chance of pulling it off if producing his last start G1 Breeders' Cup Turf performance.

The G1 Mile again features Able Friend, a true champion on his day but one who was off the scene for a long time with a tendon injury. He has run only once in the past 12 months.

The G1 Sprint looks wide open, with French-trained Signs Of Blessing a feasible contender.

The Longines International Jockeys' Championship this Wednesday night kick-starts an exciting five days in Hong Kong. It's a great way to end the racing year.