Hong Kong Slates Mainland Exhibition Races for March
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Photo: Hong Kong Jockey Club
An aerial view of Conghua Racecourse
The Hong Kong Jockey Club will hold a five-heat "Exhibition Raceday" March 23 at its new Conghua Racecourse on the Chinese Mainland—an initial step toward expansion of an international equine sports industry in the area.
The one-day event will be conducted in collaboration with the Conghua District Government and run under Hong Kong's rules of racing, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, CEO of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said in a New Year's Eve announcement.
Engelbrecht-Bresges said the event will feature "participation of only Hong Kong-based horses, trainers, and jockeys, including all of the sampling, laboratory analysis, veterinary regulation, and other controls in place in Hong Kong."
The Conghua Racecourse, opened in August, is designed as a training and rehabilitation facility for horses running at Sha Tin and Happy Valley racecourses in Hong Kong, some 3 1/2 hours drive south. For local authorities, the facility is a boost to tourism, which already benefits from hot springs resorts in the mountainous region.
"In addition, Conghua Racecourse can also serve as a platform to support the development of an equine industry in the Greater Bay Area (of South China), and with the potential to support equine sports development for the whole nation through capability building of a strong local equestrian workforce that meets international standards," Engelbrecht-Bresges added.
The HKJC has discouraged any talk of Conghua morphing in to a wagering facility as wagering on racing currently is illegal on the Mainland. Accordingly, it will take steps to minimize potential for illegal betting on the exhibition races.
"In compliance with the laws and policies of the Mainland, the Club will not offer betting on the races," said Richard Cheung, HKJC director of business development. "There will be no live broadcasts of the races. Each race will be broadcast in Hong Kong with a 15-minute delay from the start of the race. Selected media outlets in the Mainland will broadcast the races with a one-hour delay."
The HKJC also plans regular tours of its sprawling training plant as part of regular tourism packages.