Hong Kong int’l horse races draw record visitors to racecourse
The 2025 Longines Hong Kong International Races were held Sunday at the Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong, drawing a record-breaking 13,300 visitors in a single day.
As one of most popular sports in Hong Kong, horse racing is not only a unique cultural symbol of the city, but also reflects its professionalism as a host of major international sporting events.
Against the backdrop of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government's active push to develop horse-racing tourism, this year's international horse races have attracted an unprecedented number of visitors from across the world.
Just three months into the 2025-2026 racing season, the accumulated number of visitors has already surpassed 110,000.
"I used to watch horse racing on television, but being here in person is a completely different feeling. With the Year of the Horse coming up next year, we also hope more people will fall in love with the sport," said a tourist from the Chinese mainland.
Sunday's event saw 10 races, including four Group 1 races boasting a total prize of 16.7 million U.S. dollars. Of the 45 horses taking part, 20 were previous Group 1 winners, and 19 were overseas horses.
