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The Pearl
of the Orient

Hong Kong Racing

History

1841

1841

In 1841 the British introduced horse racing to Hong Kong. The first race was held in Happy Valley in December 1846, and the Hong Kong Jockey Club was founded in 1884 to formalise horse racing administration.

1971

1971

In 1971, horse racing became a professional sport in Hong Kong. In 1973, Night Racing was then introduced.

1988

1988

Hong Kong's first international race, the Hong Kong Invitation Cup had its inaugural run in January 1988 with an initial distance of 1800 metres.

2015

2015

In 2015, there were 11 international Group 1 races, and by 2016, all 11 international Group 1 races were featured in the World's Top 100 Group 1 Races. The Centenary Sprint Cup became Hong Kong's 12th international G1 race in 2017.

Racing in
Hong Kong

Racecourse

The Hong Kong racing season has a total of 88 race meetings and starts in September each year all the way through to the season's finale in July. The races are generally held at Happy Valley Racecourse on Wednesdays and at Sha Tin Racecourse on weekends.

Happy Valley
Racecourse

  • Mainly hosts Wednesday night races with 8 to 9 races per race meeting
  • Thematic "Happy Wednesday" at night races
  • Track: Turf
  • Number of Starters: Maximum 12

Sha Tin
Racecourse

  • Mainly hosts Sunday races with 10 to 11 races per race meeting
  • Track: Turf or All-Weather (Dirt)
  • Number of Starters: Maximum 14

Racing in
Hong Kong

Racetrack
Information

System

Class and Rating

  • Race horses are classified into five classes, with Class 1 being the highest.
  • Each race features runners from the same Class.
  • The Rating determines the Class - the higher the rating indicates a higher class the horse can run in.
  • A new horse usually starts with a rating of 52. In general, a rating can change depending on the horse's performance in races. Each win will add 5 to 7 points to the rating. Losing a race will likely result in points deduction.

Handicap

  • A handicap is used in most races. This means that runners carry varied weights to equalise their chances of winning the race.
  • The runners with higher ratings have more weight added to them.

Weight

  • Weight: The total weight carried by a runner while racing (including jockey, saddle and extra metal weights).
  • The weight given to a horse is determined by its rating:
  • Rating + 1 Point = Weight + 1lb
  • The runner's weight ranges from 135lbs to 115lbs
  • Example: A Class 3 race horse with a rating of 80 points will carry 135lbs. Meanwhile, 75 points race horse will carry 130lbs.
Trainer Win 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Total Runs
John Size John-Size 79 75 64 60 55 662
Francis Lui Kin-WaiFrancis-Lui 67 50 44 52 47 517
Frankie Lor Fu-Chuen Frankie-Lor-Fu-Chuen 65 49 53 54 53 616
Jockey Win 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Total Rides
Zac Purton Zac-Purton 179 110 63 69 54 715
Vincent Ho Chak-Yiu Vincent-Ho 96 75 74 77 68 724
Hugh Bowman Hugh-Bowman 62 72 73 49 48 492

Milestones

1846

  • Racing began in Happy Valley

1873

  • The Hong Kong Derby inaugural race was held on 1873

1884

  • The Hong Kong Jockey Club was founded

1971

  • Racing became a professional sport in Hong Kong

1973

  • Night Racing was introduced

1978

  • The opening of Sha Tin Racecourse

1988

  • Hong Kong's first international race — the Hong Kong Invitation Cup, had its inaugural run in January 1988

1999

  • The Hong Kong Cup became Hong Kong's first international Group 1 race

2002

  • The Turf World Championships, which are the four Hong Kong International Races, were held for the first time as international Group 1 races.

2014

  • International G1 races increased to 10

2015

  • International G1 races increased to 11

2016

  • All 11 of Hong Kong's international Group 1 races were in the World's Top 100 Group 1 Races. Hong Kong had a record of 26 horses in the World's Best Racehorse Rankings, with 8 in the top 50.

2017

  • Centenary Sprint Cup became Hong Kong's 12th international Group 1 race

2018

  • Hong Kong horses won all four Group 1 Hong Kong International Races for the first time.

2020

  • Due to its "racing bubble," the Club was able to successfully host the Hong Kong International Races during the COVID-19 pandemic, earning accolades around the world.