Racing Happy in Hong Kong
When it comes to sport in Hong Kong, there are two places to start, and finish. And that is exactly what the horses that thunder around Happy Valley and Sha Tin racecourses do. Horse racing is one of the favoured pastimes for locals of Hong Kong. And the two iconic courses are must visit destinations for tourists to HK too. The passion and energy can be felt as soon as you enter the turnstiles of either racecourse and your ears might be ringing when you leave.
From Swamp to Pomp
Happy Valley is the older of the two racecourses and has been delighting race fans since 1846, when the first race was run in December on ground that had previously been a swamp land. Under British rule at the time after Britain’s invasion of China during the First Opium War, soldiers decided to flatten the swamp land and convert the area into a racecourse. Nowadays, Happy Valley Racecourse can accommodate 55,000 people and also runs night races under floodlights for an added spectacle.
Sha Tin, also operated by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, opened its doors much later in 1978, but hosts a whopping 85,000 people in the grandstands and concourses. Although not as illustrious as its big brother on Hong Kong island, Sha Tin is still an incredibly popular destination for horse racing fans or those just looking for a day out. Between the two racecourses, around 700 races are held each year.
Photo Finish with Football
Horse racing is incredibly popular in Hong Kong, potentially even more popular than football. Although the national team ranks a lowly 156th in the FIFA rankings, the Premier League especially is followed with fervent passion in Hong Kong. Manchester United and Liverpool make up the majority of the fan base, with the mighty Real Madrid also receiving strong backing.
One thing that connects the two is the ability to place wagers on events. Whether it is the local race meet on Wednesday at Happy Valley or over the weekend at Sha Tin, or for the afternoon kick offs in England taking place in the late hours of the evening in Hong Kong, it is no secret that locals in Hong Kong like to back their favourite.
Turnover Figures Proof of Popularity
This is reflected in the staggering turnover figures for betting turnover in horse racing and football. For the financial year 2023/24, football trumped horse racing, finishing with a turnover of HK$160.30 billion compared to the HK$134.70 billion for horse racing. This figure was down by 4.5% for the latter, but sports betting on both sports continue to contribute massively to Hong Kong’s economy.
The popularity of sports betting is fuelled by the rising number of online bookmakers that include horse racing meets around the year at Happy Valley and Sha Tin in their horse racing selections, as well as the incredibly popular Premier League football. Despite online sports betting falling into a grey area in Hong Kong legislation, locals can still access international bookmakers and even get straight to the betting markets at sites that do not require verification. Regardless of if locals are betting online, or at the old-school betting booths at Sha Tin Racecourse, sports fans in Hong Kong are certainly happy to put their money where their mouth is.
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What to look out for in 2025?
The biggest race in Hong Kong is the Longines Hong Kong Cup, which usually takes place in December and has a total prize pool of HK$4.6 million. Past winners include a mixture of Irish, Japanese, and British trained horses with the local HK trainer and Kiwi jockey combination of Danny C.S. Shum and James McDonald winning the last two editions on Romantic Warrior.
Other notable races to take place in Hong Kong include the Stewards’ Cup, Centenary Sprint Cup, and the Hong Kong Classic Mile (all HK$12 million prize pool). Despite the fact Hong Kong does not attract the biggest names in the horse racing world to Happy Valley or Sha Tin, there is plenty of enthralling action around the year to keep horse racing in HK in a very happy place.