Hong Kong Jockey Club

Hong Kong Jockey Club

Hong Kong Jockey Club Facts

It is one of the oldest institutions in Hong Kong, having been founded in 1884. In 1959, it was granted a Royal Charter and renamed The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club (英皇御准香港賽馬會). The institution reverted to its original name in 1996 due to the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997. Membership of the club is by nomination and election.

Chinese Name: 香港赛马会

Type: Non-profit organisation

Address: Happy Valley, Hong Kong, China

Best Seasons: All year round

Recommended Visiting Hours: about 2-5 hours

Opening Hours: The annual horse season is from April to early May

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Why is Hong Kong Jockey Club so Special?

  1. It is a non-profit organisation providing horse racing, sporting and betting entertainment in Hong Kong. It holds a government-granted monopoly in providing pari-mutuel betting on horse racing, the Mark Six lottery, and fixed odds betting on overseas football events.
  2. The organisation is the largest taxpayer in Hong Kong, as well as the largest community benefactor.

Where is Hong Kong Jockey Club?

The headquarters of the Hong Kong Jockey Club is located in Happy Valley, Hong Kong, China. The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) is one of the oldest institutions in Hong Kong, having been founded in 1884. In 1959, it was granted a Royal Charter and renamed The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club (英皇御准香港賽馬會). 

Introduction of Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. Through this model, the club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the government in combatting illegal gambling.

In 2018/19, the club made a record return to the government of HK$23.3 billion in duty and profits tax and contributed HK$1.3 billion to the Lotteries Fund. Approved charity and community donations were HK$4.3 billion. The club is Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer and one of the city’s major employers. Its Charities Trust is also one of the world’s top ten charity donors. The club is always “riding high together for a better future” with the people of Hong Kong.

Racing activities

The HKJC conducts nearly 700 horse races per year at its two race tracks at Sha Tin 沙田 and Happy Valley 快活谷. During the 2001/02 racing season, the HKJC licensed 1,144 horse owners, 24 trainers and 35 jockeys and had 1,435 horses in training.

In 2002–2003, the betting turnover was HK$71 billion. After paying dividends of 58 billion and betting duty of 9.5 billion, its betting commission revenue was HK$3.9 billion. It contributes 11.7% of Hong Kong’s tax revenue. Surpluses from its operation are allocated to The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.

Following the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong, the popularity of horse racing declined substantially, possibly due to economic conditions in the region.

Hong Kong Jockey Club College (HKJCC)

The Hong Kong Jockey Club College (HKJCC), under the umbrella of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, was established in 2010 to support the career development of employees in accordance with the Club’s holistic people development strategy by providing training programmes with QF and non-QF accredited programmes and certificates. Currently, two main academies are available at the College:

Service & Hospitality Academy providing up to QF Level III accredited programmes
Business Management Academy providing up to QF Level IV accredited programmes.

Recommended Hong Kong Tour

How to Get to Hong Kong Jockey Club

Travel with ChinaDragonTours (top recommended)

If you want to get out of the traffic and hassle of navigation, you can book a private tour package that includes visiting, dining and transfer from us. Our local guide and driver will escort you to Hong Kong Jockey Club in  in the fastest and most convenient way and take care of all the details. You just have to focus on the visiting.

Useful Travel Tips 

  1. Where to Stay in Hong Kong
    JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong: Our Hong Kong go to hotel is the JW Marriott and the Harbour views are a bonus. Adjacent to the fab Pacific Place shopping mall with access to Admiralty MTR station making sightseeing and transport seamless – Click here for latest prices
    The Upper House: Another great luxury Hong Kong hotel is the Upper House with it’s amazing views, luxurious rooms and great location – Click here for latest prices
    Hotel Stage: a Kowloon fave and a fab boutique option with reasonably priced rooms – Click here for latest prices
    Ovolo: a short walk from the Hong Kong mid level escalators it’s compact and efficient and perfect for exploring the city – Click here for latest prices
  2. Taxi is one of the most popular ways to and from the Hong Kong International Airport. It is fast, comfortable and offers point-to-point travel. The taxi rank is located outside the Arrival Hall on the left side. Follow the direction signs. The estimated fare is HK$220-230 plus HK$5 for each piece of luggage stored inside the baggage compartment, and each piece of luggage with total dimensions (length + width + height) exceeding 140cm stored inside the cabin. The journey time is about 30-40 minutes. The fare and time depend on traffic conditions. Hong Kong taxi drivers know all the major hotels, but it is a good idea to note the address of your hotel or destination point on a piece of paper.
  3. Also, visitors to Hong Kong may take the Airport Express train. The journey to Kowloon station costs HK$90 and takes 21 minutes. The trains run every 10 minutes from 5:50am to 1:15am daily. There are discounts up to 40% for those who travel in a group or family. HK$140 for a group of 2, HK$190 for a group of 3 and HK$220 for a group of 4. Then take a taxi or Free Airport Express Shuttle Bus to your hotel or destination point.

Recommended Attractions in Hong Kong

Edited by Bella Ren/任新月