A Guide to Horse Racing in Hong Kong
Horse racing in Hong Kong has a long, rich history, and today is one of the city’s most popular pastimes. Between September and July—Happy Valley Race Course opens its gates to horse race-loving locals, expats and tourists. The racecourse, managed by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, is known for its stunning skyline views, lively crowd, electric atmosphere and not-to-be-missed midweek horse races.
On Wednesday nights, the bright lights of this historic horse racing venue draw in crowds from near and far with the promise of cold beers, gourmet snacks, heart stopping horse races and a chance to cheer from the grandstands.
So, if you have dreamed of winning big at the races, discover our guide to horse racing in Hong Kong and Hong Kong horse racing tips.
HAPPY VALLEY RACECOURSE
The home of Hong Kong horse racing since 1846, Happy Valley Racecourse is a world-renowned horse race venue located in the heart of Hong Kong. The racecourse is conveniently situated in Happy Valley on Hong Kong Island and is one of the city’s most popular attractions, drawing horse racing enthusiasts from all over the world.
HONG KONG HORSE RACING FAQ
Happy Valley Racecourse Tickets
General admission tickets cost HK$10, with public seated tickets available for HK$20. The horse races don’t typically sell out, but be sure to book in advance for major race days.
How to get to Happy Valley Racecourse
The horse racing venue can be accessed via Wong Nai Chung Road. Hop on the tram to the Happy Valley Tram Terminus, take the MTR to Causeway Bay or take a taxi from Central for as little as $HK40.
Happy Valley Racecourse opening times
Gates open at 17:15 pm with the first horse race normally starting at 19:15 pm
How to place Horse Racing Bets
Race cards are available from the betting hall. A Hong Kong race card has a minimum wager of $HK10 per race.
HORSE RACING TIPS
Whether you are a horse racing fanatic or someone who bets based on name or colourful jockey jerseys, here are some horse race betting basics to get you started.
WIN – The simplest bet. The win bet means choosing the horse that crosses the line first. No prizes for second place.
Fun Fact: The 2015 winning horse of the Melbourne Cup (Prince of Penzance) had odds of 1:101. That means if you bet HK$1,000, you would have made $101,000.
PLACE – Like hedging your bets for a better chance at winning? Place is selecting a single horse to finish in the top 3, for races containing 7 or more horses, or finish in the top 2 places for races with 4-6 horses.
QUINELLA – Quinella bets are for beginners. It means picking the horses that finishes 1st and 2nd, in any order.
QUINELLA PLACE – Quinella Place (the easier of the Quinella bets) means choosing any 2 horses that finish in the top 3.
TIERCE – Tierce is for when you fancy yourself a bit of an expert. Tierce is predicting the first 3 horses to get their noses past the post in the correct order.
TRIO – Trio bet is the same as a Tierce bet except the top 3 horses can finish in any order.
FIRST 4 – It’s exactly as it’s named. Selecting the top 4 horses in any order.
QUARTET – Quartet is for the pros. It’s the same as the First 4 except you must predict the top 4 horses in the correct order.
Fun Fact: A punter at the 2015 Melbourne Cup made a AU$9 Quartet bet, and raked in AU$125,000.
DOUBLE – For those who fancy themselves as somewhat of a horse racing expert, the double is correctly predicting the winners from 2 races.
TREBLE – The treble is exactly like the double except for 3 races
DOUBLE TRIO– Feeling lucky? Double trio is when you choose the top 3, in any order, in 2 races.
TRIPLE TRIO – Triple trio is picking the top 3 horses, in any order, for 3 races. Win this and the drinks are on you.
SIX UP – Lastly, the biggest of all bets. To win this bet, you need to choose one horse to finish either first or second from all 6 races, and the champagne will be on you.