About Hong Kong Horse Racing

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Happy Valley - Hong Kong’s First Racecourse

Happy Valley was the birth place of Hong Kong racing, created more than a hundred and fifty years ago by British colonists who brought their favourite pastime with them. The piece of land where the track is build was transformed from a muddy swamp into a racecourse located in the middle of the central business district, where the price of land is one of the highest in the world. Every Wednesday, more than 20,000 race goers attend Happy Valley race meets with over another half a million playing the races from one of the betting shops in Hong Kong or from home - betting via phone or over the internet.

Shatin – Hong Kong’s Premier Racecourse

Realising the need of a world class racetrack, the Hong Kong Jockey Club build the current Shatin racetrack over a piece of reclaimed land at the side of Shing Mun River in Shatin. The racecourse was officially opened in the late 1970s and since then, most weekend meetings in Hong Kong are hosted at this racetrack. Unlike Happy Valley where all the racing is conducted on turf, the Shatin racecourse has two tracks, a turf course and an all weather track. Occasionally a meeting will consist of races conducted on both tracks.

Hong Kong Racing - International Group One Fields

Hong Kong hosted its first international racing events in the late 1980s when a few Malaysian and Singapore horses were invited to race in the Hong Kong International Cup over 1800m against the best local horses. Today the event has been transformed into a set of four races: the Hong Kong International Sprint over 1200m, the Hong Kong Mile over 1600m, the Hong Kong Cup over 2000m and the Hong Kong Vase over 2400m. It is billed as the turf championship of the world, running every second Sunday in December and attracting some of the best turf horses on the planet.

Hong Kong Racing – The Asian Mile Challenge Series

The other international day of racing is in April when Hong Kong hosts the Queen Elizabeth II Cup over 2000m and the Champions Mile on 1600m, both races drawing overseas horses to compete against the local talent. The Champions Mile is a relatively new races, but it is gaining attention rapidly as an Asian Mile Challenge series event.