HKJC Cancels Happy Valley Card Nov. 13 Amid Strife

The Hong Kong Jockey Club called off its popular Wednesday night race meeting Nov. 13 at in-town Happy Valley Racecourse amid safety concerns arising from ongoing and increasingly violent street demonstrations.

The second cancellation at Happy Valley this season came less than four weeks before the HKJC's signature day—the Longines Hong Kong International Races, held at Sha Tin Racecourse in the New Territories. The Sha Tin area also has been the site of confrontations between police and protesters.

In a statement, the Club said the decision to call off the Happy Valley races was taken "to ensure the safety of its employees and racegoers.

"In organizing race meetings, the Club always puts safety as a top priority," the statement said. "The Club has been monitoring the situation in Hong Kong closely. It has conducted a thorough risk assessment of the race meeting tonight and concluded that the latest social unrest and public transportation situation throughout the territory do not support our employees and racegoers arriving and particularly departing from the racecourse smoothly and safely."

The HKJC, which is headquartered just down the road from Happy Valley, also suspended operations for the day at 2 p.m.

The first cancellation at Happy Valley resulted from threatened protests against a horse owner seen as supportive of authorities in the current unrest. The Nov. 13 decision came against the backdrop of escalating violence, including the reported shooting of a demonstrator by a policeman this week.

Though Sha Tin Racecourse is located well away from the center of Hong Kong, it is near a university that has been the site of recent protests, and the track has been dragged into social media discussion of events, prompting another statement from the HKJC.

"It has come to the attention of the Hong Kong Jockey Club that there is a rumor circulating on online platforms this evening that the Sha Tin Racecourse has been used as a police base," the statement read. "The Club would like to clarify that this is untrue.

"The fact is some police vehicles accessed the racecourse road without notifying the Club. The police have not entered the Sha Tin Communications and Technology Centre or other Club facilities."

The proximity of the university to Sha Tin Racecourse, where horses are stabled for racing at both Hong Kong venues, is particularly touchy given the timing.

On Nov. 17, Sha Tin is set to host a full race card, including three group 2 events that serve as the major local preps for the Dec. 8 international program. The four international races themselves are expected to draw an unusually strong presence from Japan and Europe, adding to concerns about any possible disruption.

In addition, the Club's annual international jockey competition is scheduled for Happy Valley the Wednesday before the Longines International Races.

The protests, ongoing since early summer, also have forced on-again, off-again closure of HKJC off-track betting locations.

Originally targeting legislation that would have permitted extraditions from Hong Kong to mainland China, the demonstrators have expanded their scope to include other demands, including expansion of self-rule in the Chinese Special Administrative Region.