The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s aspirations to potentially have horse racing betting based upon races in mainland China could have been slightly set back, given that the Conghua racecourse in mainland China has had its racing debut pushed back.
According to the Hong Kong Standard, racing at the HKJC’s new facility in Conghua has been delayed from April of next year to October, given the potential for rain.
The CEO of the group had previously opined that there could be a racing and breeding industry in China in five years, 10 years or 15 years. This would further expand the live racing events that the Hong Kong Jockey Club hosts, as well as its streams – which are available for live betting via the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
The HKJC has invested about $1.09 billion into the transformation of Conghua into a racecourse since 2015, in a bid to promote the sport and possibly open up betting options.
The HKJC was initially estimating to start its horse racing program in Conghua in April of 2026, with up to six race meetings per season. This was to be accompanied by equestrian programs every weekend and other entertainment.
The executive indicated recently that “we would be practically ready to start in April from an infrastructure point of view but it means we have much more time to do tests because it’s a completely new site”.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club, as of last year, has pushed to allow betting on more nonlocal race days. It is also working with the government to explore the possibilities of expanding its sports betting offerings beyond horse racing and football betting, in particular to basketball.
