Horse racing news: Hong Kong 2024/25 racing turnover up 3% year-on-year to HK$138.85 billion

Total racing wagering turnover for the 2024/25 Hong Kong season was HK$138.85 billion (approx. £13.2b), representing a 3.0% increase on the 2023/24 season and an encouraging return to growth after the 4.5% decline last season.

Racing fans enjoyed 88 race meetings over the course of the 2024/25 Hong Kong racing season, including seven summer series fixtures, comprising 847 Hong Kong races and 393 overseas simulcast races.

The growth in racing turnover was driven primarily by optimised jackpot offerings, improved field sizes, increased Mainland and international sports tourism, and the continued success of globalising Hong Kong Racing via commingling combined with the Club’s international simulcast under World Pool Strategy. Hong Kong has developed into a centre of excellence for global racing wagering.

Notably, Hong Kong races attracted record commingling turnover of HK$31.76 billion, a 10.1% increase on the 2023/24 season. This strong trend reflects the high profile of Hong Kong racing internationally, with 26 countries and more than 70 partners now commingling on Hong Kong racing. A notable highlight was achieved at the Chinese New Year Raceday in January, with commingling turnover surging by 23.7% to HK$510.4 million, setting a new record in the process and surpassing HK$500 million for the first time.

Hong Kong fans were able to enjoy more of the world’s finest races this season thanks to the Government’s approval of additional simulcasts. The Club offered 393 simulcast races in 2024/25 season, a 7% increase on the 368 during the previous 12 months, with enhanced racing information being provided for overseas customers. The simulcast schedule focused on showcasing the world’s Top 100 Group/Grade 1 races, highlighting the global nature of Hong Kong wagering. In total, 71 overseas races that had been in the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities’ (IFHA) Top 100 at least once during the previous three years were simulcast, up from 61 the previous season. Overall, turnover on simulcasting (including World Pool commingling) for the season was up by 2.3% to HK$13.11 billion.

Through World Pool, the Club aims to offer global parimutuel wagering with deep liquidity on the very best international races. This season, the number of World Pool races increased from 258 to 296 including, for the first time, all 12 of the Club’s Group 1 races as well as top races from New Zealand. Commingling turnover into the World Pool (excluding Club races) recorded an 8.4% increase over last season.

Total attendance and growing share of Mainland and overseas visitors

This season total racecourse attendance was over 1.7 million, including a record 195,786 Mainland tourists, plus international visitors. This was a significant 110% increase on the 93,000 Mainland tourists who visited last season. In particular, major racedays set new records for tourist attendance, with the Chinese New Year Raceday, BMW Hong Kong Derby and FWD Champions Day meetings each attracting 9,000 tourists. These included high-end international tourists for our flagship LONGINES Hong Kong International Races and FWD Champions Day.

The HKSAR Chief Executive’s recognition of horse racing tourism in his Policy Address created new momentum for the Club to take racing tourism to the next level, as did the incorporation of racing tourism into the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0 and the establishment of a ground-breaking strategic partnership between the Club and China Travel Service (Holdings) Hong Kong Limited to strengthen the promotion of tourism within the Greater Bay Area, including racecourse tourism.

To enhance the quality of the racegoing experience for both regular and tourist racegoers, the Club launched new and upgraded dining and entertainment venues at the racecourses. These included The Beat and Vantage at Happy Valley Racecourse, providing an innovative digital racecourse experience utilising artificial intelligence, while at Sha Tin Racecourse the opening of the renovated Champion Circle and Inner Circle in time for visitors attending FWD Champions Day strengthened the Club’s capability to receive both high-end and general tourists.

The Club also strengthened its famous Happy Wednesday brand at Happy Valley Racecourse – one of the must-dos for tourists visiting Hong Kong – with nine different themed race-night parties, boosting total attendance for the season to around 548,000, a 3.9% increase. At the thrilling season finale meeting at Happy Valley Racecourse yesterday (16 July), there was an exciting jockey parade, with all our jockeys thanking racing fans for their support during the season.

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Hong Kong champions Ka Ying Rising, Romantic Warrior and Voyage Bubble underline world-class racing scene

The individual and collective feats of Hong Kong’s equine titans – Ka Ying Rising, Romantic Warrior and Voyage Bubble – elevated Hong Kong’s world-class racing onto an even higher plane during a record-breaking and historic season.

Led by Ka Ying Rising, Romantic Warrior and Voyage Bubble, Hong Kong’s champion horses won 11 of the world’s top Group 1 races in 2024/25, while eight of the city’s elite races were included in the 2024 LONGINES World’s Top 100 Group/Grade 1 races, demonstrating the enduring quality of the Club’s racing.

Additionally, 12 Hong Kong-trained horses received an international rating of 115 or higher in the year-ending 2024 LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings. In particular, by the end of the 2024/25 season, Romantic Warrior and Ka Ying Rising, both at a rating of 126, are at joint-fourth place with Delacroix in the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings behind Field Of Gold, Forever Young and Ombudsman (all 127), while Voyage Bubble, at a rating of 121, was joint 15th. This is an incredible accomplishment given Hong Kong has a pool of about 1,300 horses in training – or less than 1% of the world’s racehorse population.

Acknowledging these achievements, the Club’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, said: “It’s been an amazing season, with outstanding performances by top horses that have truly captured the imagination of fans not just in Hong Kong but around the world. Since the Policy Address of HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee, we have been able to attract even more Mainland and overseas tourists, who have come to our racecourses in record numbers to experience our city’s signature sport for themselves. These achievements strengthen the position of Hong Kong racing as a world-class sport and entertainment experience. They have also made an important contribution to Hong Kong tourism as well as underlining Hong Kong’s vital role as a centre for East-West exchange.”

The quality of Hong Kong horses was again illustrated at Hong Kong’s two international flagship events, the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races and FWD Champions Day. Competing against 41 overseas runners from seven different nations and jurisdictions, Hong Kong’s finest triumphed in five of seven Group 1 features.

Three flagbearer horses shared the spotlight in Hong Kong and also on the global stage. Ka Ying Rising became only the third Hong Kong horse to win eight races in a single season, and also gained the status as the world’s top-rated sprinter with four Group 1 victories and twice breaking Sha Tin’s 1200m course record – a mark which had been held by Sacred Kingdom since 2007. In doing so, he stretched his winning streak to 12 races, the third-longest in Hong Kong racing history behind Silent Witness (17 races) and Golden Sixty (16 races).

Ka Ying Rising’s invincible season also saw him become the fifth horse to capture the three-race Hong Kong Speed Series bonus of HK$5 million, following his victories in the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m), G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) and G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m).

Romantic Warrior’s globetrotting heroics continued with victory in the G1 Jebel Hatta (1800m) in Dubai in a track-record time. Adding to victories in Hong Kong, Japan and Australia over the past two seasons, Romantic Warrior became the first Hong Kong-trained horse to win G1 races in four different racing jurisdictions. His narrow defeats in the G1 Saudi Cup (1800m, dirt) and the G1 Dubai Turf (1800m), where he placed second in both races, served only to underscore his champion status, as well as making him the world’s richest racehorse in terms of career earnings.

Voyage Bubble became the city’s second Triple Crown winner, and first in 31 years, by matching the feat of River Verdon with victories in the G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m), G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) and G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) in the same season.

In addition to champion horses, this season saw our top trainers and jockeys add new laurels to their crowns. John Size advanced to a record-extending 13th Hong Kong trainers’ championship with 69 wins, while Zac Purton was crowned Hong Kong champion jockey for an eighth time with 138 victories, as Matthew Poon won the Tony Cruz Award for leading home-grown jockey.

Zac Purton surpassed Douglas Whyte’s record of 1,813 Hong Kong wins for a jockey and finished the season with 1,878 victories, while Size made it past the 1,600 Hong Kong-win milestone.

“Hong Kong racing is truly world class and I am immensely proud of the performances of our champion horses, jockeys and trainers. The achievements of amazing horses such as Ka Ying Rising, Romantic Warrior and Voyage Bubble reflect the expertise, dedication and passion of our trainers and jockeys as well as the strong commitment of our owners, who continue to make significant investments to secure the best available equine talent,” Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said.

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Hong Kong Group 1 races to see prize money increase for 2025/26 season

With total prize money at a record level of HK$1.74 billion, the Club’s Group 1 races, particularly those staged on its flagship racedays, the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races and FWD Champions Day, are highly regarded for the global fields of equine talent they attract.

To uphold their prestige, the Club will offer record prize money totalling HK$208 million in these races in the 2025/26 season through increases of HK$2 million for four feature races.

For FWD Champions Day, prize money for the FWD QEII Cup will rise to HK$30 million, while the Chairman’s Sprint Prize will increase to HK$24 million, taking the total prize money for the three G1 races to a total of HK$78 million. For the international day in December, the increases apply to the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint, with prize money rising to HK$28 million, and the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase, rising to HK$26 million, while the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile stays on HK$36 million and the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup will be run for prize money of HK$40 million, taking the total Group 1 prize money purse to HK$130 million.

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HKJC to begin hosting race meetings at Conghua Racecourse, China in October 2026

Once again Conghua Racecourse, with its state-of-the-art training and rehabilitation facilities has been vital to the success of the season. On average, 440 horses were trained in CRC this season, with 219 horses from 19 stables notching 302 wins, an increase of 17.7% and 24.3% respectively on last season.

The Club is well-advanced in its preparations for the start of regular racing at Conghua in October 2026, with the iconic grandstand nearing completion. Together, Sha Tin, Happy Valley and Conghua will form a triangle of racecourses that will showcase the world-class quality of the Club’s horse racing sport combined with entertainment. It will promote the Greater Bay Area as a premier tourist destination. Most importantly, it will also advance the Club’s support for the National Equine Industry Development Plan, which seeks to develop a high-quality equine industry in the Mainland.

“The contribution of Conghua Racecourse to horse training and care has been nothing short of remarkable. But with the start of international-standard racing in October 2026, Conghua, and the Club, will enter a whole new era. Our aim is to make Conghua a truly iconic and must-go destination, a place not only to enjoy the best racing but also to be truly inspired about all forms of horse sports. There will be an experience centre featuring cutting-edge audio-visuals to engage visitors with an appreciation of the horse and there will be retail, dining and online experiences, all integrated with our racing. We want to make Conghua a truly memorable day out for everyone who visits,” Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said.

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