Happy Valley Racecourse is run by the Hong Kong Jockey Club & was first opened in 1845.
The Racecourse is located in the major housing and retail business area of Happy Valley on Hong Kong Island, surrounded by Wong Nai Chung Road and Morrison Hill Road.
The Racing season in Hong Kong starts in September and goes through to June / early July. Races in Happy Valley usually take place on Wednesday nights and are open to the public as well as members of the Club.
The tote on any single night at Happy Valley Racecourse is often equivalent to a full year's betting at racetracks in the West. Billions are spent on turnover every year at the Happy Valley racecourse.
It was originally built to provide horse racing for the British people living in Hong Kong. The area where it was built was on swamp lands which incidentally was the only flat ground suitable for horse racing on the Island. The first race ran in December 1846.
Over the years horse racing became more and more popular among the Chinese residents.
At Happy Valley Racecourse, in 1918, a fire started due to the collapse of a temporary grandstand causing 576 deaths, the highest casualties in Hong Kong history.
Admission To Happy Valley Racecourse:
Entry via Wong Nai Chung Road. Take the Happy Valley tram, which runs east-west along Hong Kong Island, to the end of the line and walk across the road to the track. Alternatively, catch the public railway system (the MTR) to Causeway Bay and follow the signs to the racecourse. Taxis from Central cost about $HK40
Usual ticket price: HK $10 (additional charges apply during special events). Horse racing at Happy Valley Racecourse is just one of many attractions, tours & things-to-do in Hong Kong. Tourists staying in Hong Kong for less than 21 days can buy a member's guest badge to visit the Members Stand. Member guest badges are available for sale at designated off-course betting branches. You can call local Hotline on 1817 for branches location and relevant details.
Horse racing in Hong Kong is a pivotal part to many people’s lives and to the the city’s economy, horse racing in Hong Kong is followed far more passionately than anywhere else in the world.
Race Track Details:
The Happy Valley Racecourse which offers flat races only, are regularly packed, with an electrifying atmosphere that is rarely seen on other racecourses.
Happy Valley Racecourse was upgraded in 1995 to bring it up to International standards. The track has tight turns with a circumference of 1450 metres, a home straight being 310 metres long and direction of travel is clockwise.The course can seat over 48,000 people. A huge 20 x 5.8 meter video screen surrounds the racecourse displaying the races in progress as well as all the tote betting odds, racing forms, scratchings and other relevant details.
Contact:
HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB
Happy Valley Racecourse
New Territories
Hong Kong 999077 ( Postal code is not used in Hong Kong )
Ph. (+852) 2695-6223
Email: customer.care@hkjc.com
International Race day, one of the biggest race days in Asia is held each December annually at Sha Tin Racecourse Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Archive and Museum was set up in 1995 and opened on 18 October 1996. It is now located on the second floor of the Happy Valley Stand of the racecourse.There are four galleries in the museum:
- The Origin of Our Horses: Shows the migration route horses travelled in the early days from the northern part of China to Hong Kong.
- Shaping Sha Tin: Exhibits the history of construction of Sha Tin Racecourse.
- Understanding Horses: Exhibits the skeleton of the three-time Hong Kong Champion Silver Lining
- Thematic Exhibitions: The history of the Jockey Club is exhibited. Selected charitable organisations and community projects supported by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust are also displayed in this gallery.
There is also a cinema and a souvenir shop in the museum. Reference Wikipedia