The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) has proposed transforming the Greater Bay Area into a leading international equine hub anchored by a “Two Cities, Three Racecourses” racing tourism circuit linking its Sha Tin and Happy Valley racecourses with Conghua Racecourse in Guangzhou.
The proposal is part of a formal submission made on July 16th to the public consultation on Hong Kong’s first Five-Year Plan.
The operator of Hong Kong’s legal horse race wagering and lottery monopoly returned HK$39.1 billion ($5 billion) to the community in 2024/25, including HK$30.1 billion ($3.8 billion) to the government in duty, profits tax and Lotteries Fund contributions, and HK$9 billion ($1.15 billion) in approved charity donations, making it the city’s largest single taxpayer.
Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said the Club ‘strongly welcomes’ the government’s initiative to formulate Hong Kong’s first Five-Year Plan under the framework of the National 15th Five-Year Plan, and sees it as a ‘significant opportunity’ to strengthen Hong Kong’s integration into national development.
Hong Kong’s first Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) was launched for public consultation on June 15th and sets out the city’s development vision across the economy, industries, infrastructure and livelihood areas. The consultation runs until August 14th.
Racing tourism circuit
Under the plan, the Club would leverage Conghua Racecourse as a strategic platform for deeper Guangzhou-Hong Kong cooperation, supporting world-class racing and equine events across the region and creating a multi-destination racing tourism offering for both mainland Chinese and international visitors.
Citing a substantial rise in tourist attendance at its racecourses, the Club argued that recent data demonstrate the attractiveness of Hong Kong’s racing tourism.
The Conghua leg of the circuit is set to move from concept to reality this year, with the Club’s first race meeting on the mainland scheduled for October 31st, 2026, although betting will not be available within mainland China.
The submission builds on a racing tourism push dating back to Chief Executive John Lee’s 2024 Policy Address, which included a since-shelved proposal to relax the rule barring under-18s from racecourses.
Beyond racing
The submission also recommends developing the Conghua International Racing Development Centre as an international equine import-export and quarantine hub, expanding mutual recognition of vocational qualifications between Hong Kong and Guangdong, and extending Hong Kong’s disease-free zone expertise to regions such as Xinjiang.
On the sports economy, the Club highlighted its internationally recognized Racing Laboratory and offered its expertise in integrity assurance and governance, noting its role in supporting the government in combatting illegal gambling.
The government aims to publish the final blueprint of the Five-Year Plan in the third quarter of this year.
