Crowned by a string of record-breaking highs and global accolades, a spectacular 2025/26 Hong Kong racing season drew to a close at Happy Valley on Wednesday (15 July).

The towering achievements of Hong Kong’s equine superstars – Ka Ying Rising and Romantic Warrior – showcased the city’s world-class racing to a global audience with flawless, unbeaten seasons, timed to perfection to celebrate the Year of the Horse.

With a combined 10 Group 1 victories between them, the pair spent much of the season at the top of the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, with Ka Ying Rising (131) at joint No. 1 in the standings and Romantic Warrior (126) equal third.

Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “This has been an outstanding season, and we really could not have wished for anything more in terms of equine excellence, especially in the Year of the Horse. Hong Kong’s titans, Ka Ying Rising and Romantic Warrior, have elevated Hong Kong racing to an unprecedented level. It is an extraordinary achievement to have two Hong Kong horses ranked at the top of the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings for much of the season – Ka Ying Rising at Number One and Romantic Warrior, who was at Number Two for much of this year. They have given the Year of the Horse celebrations even more significance as we pay tribute to Hong Kong’s unique passion for the horse and horse racing.”

“Led by Ka Ying Rising, Romantic Warrior, Voyage Bubble and My Wish, Hong Kong horses won 12 of the world’s top Group 1 races in 2025/26, while 11 of the city’s 12 elite races were included in the 2025 LONGINES World’s Top 100 Group 1 races. In addition, 10 Hong Kong-trained horses received an international rating of 115 or higher in the year-ending 2025 LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings. This is an amazing accomplishment given that Hong Kong has a pool of about 1,300 horses in training – or less than 1% of the world’s racehorse population.”

The exceptional quality of Hong Kong horses was illustrated at Hong Kong’s two international flagship events, the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races and FWD Champions Day. Competing against 29 overseas runners from four different nations and jurisdictions, Hong Kong’s finest triumphed in six of seven Group 1 races.

“Hong Kong racing is truly world-class and I am immensely proud of the performances of our champion horses, jockeys and trainers. The achievements of once-in-a-lifetime horses such as Ka Ying Rising and Romantic Warrior reflect tremendously on the expertise, dedication and passion of our trainers and jockeys as well as the strong commitment of our owners, who continue to make significant investments to secure the best available equine talent,” Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said.

Ka Ying Rising’s ascent to become the world’s top racehorse followed a string of stellar victories. He became the first overseas-trained horse to win the world’s richest race on turf, The Everest (1200m) in Sydney, Australia. During the season, he not only broke Silent Witness’s record of 17 consecutive Hong Kong wins set nearly 21 years ago, but extended his winning streak to 20 by the end of the season. Along the way, he posted a new Sha Tin 1400m track record and twice lowered his own 1200m track record.

Hong Kong’s other equine colossus, Romantic Warrior, confirmed his standing as one of the world’s elite middle-distance gallopers with a fourth consecutive victory in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup and a fourth triumph in the FWD QEII Cup. He was also only the third horse in Hong Kong racing history to claim the Triple Crown by landing the G1 Stewards’ Cup, the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup and the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup in the same season. These victories boosted his world-record prizemoney earnings to more than HK$ 288 million.

Fittingly, in a historic first, Ka Ying Rising and Romantic Warrior were declared joint winners of the coveted Hong Kong Champion Horse Award.

Meanwhile, new and rising stars made their mark. Among them Invincible Ibis, winner of the 2026 BMW Hong Kong Derby, Little Paradise, Stormy Grove and talented sprinter Hot Delight.

After a hard-fought title race, Caspar Fownes claimed the Hong Kong trainers’ championship for the fifth time, while Zac Purton was crowned Hong Kong’s champion jockey for a ninth time with 143 victories, and Jerry Chau won the Tony Cruz Award as leading homegrown jockey. Purton also become the first jockey to ride 2,000 winners in Hong Kong.

Club’s leadership in driving global racing and collaboration

Beyond staging world-class racing, the Club continued to demonstrate its leadership in global racing during LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) week. Hong Kong hosted a series of significant international meetings and conferences, bringing together industry leaders, regulators, researchers and medical professionals from across the world to address issues critical to the future development of the sport.

Highlights included meetings of the Asian and international racing community, the International Conference for the Health, Safety and Welfare of Jockeys organised by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, and the inaugural international conference of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Equine Welfare Research Foundation. These events showcased Hong Kong’s unique ability to convene global expertise and drive progress in areas ranging from racing governance and international collaboration to jockey well-being, safety and equine welfare.

Success of initiatives to promote horse ownership

Since the current bonus framework was introduced in the 2023/24 racing season, with further enhancement in the bonus entitlement at the start of this season, to incentivise horse ownership, 150 horses have earned Class 3 PP Bonuses totalling HK$225 million. Including the PPG Bonus, ISG (International Sale Griffin) Bonus, Class 2 PP Bonus and Top-Up Bonus, HK$80.5 million has been paid out to owners of 59 winning horses. Notably the six PPs that contested the 2026 BMW Hong Kong Derby each received a HK$1.5 million bonus for winning a Class 3 race. Together with the enhanced bonus framework, the Club delivered a total of HK$1.78 billion in prize money and bonuses in the 2025/26 racing season, providing significant incentives for owners and encouraging investment in quality racehorses.

To promote syndicate horse ownership, the Club has – since the 2024/25 season – relaxed the cap on the number of syndicates any one Member may join from four to seven, while increasing the number of horses any one Owner may own at any one time from five to seven.

Two of Hong Kong’s top horses – Ka Ying Rising and Voyage Bubble – along with 2026 BMW Hong Kong Derby winner Invincible Ibis, are raced by syndicates. BMW Hong Kong Derby runner-up and Group 3 winner Numbers, is also raced by a syndicate.

In addition, increases in prize money have incentivised Hong Kong owners to import quality horses and overseas owners to race their horses here. With a record HK$1.78 billion this season, the Club’s 12 Group 1 races, especially on its two flagship racedays – the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races and FWD Champions Day – attracted world-class equine talent.

For the 2026/27 season, the Club will continue to focus on encouraging high-quality horse imports. A new Premier Series for Class 1 to Class 3 races staged before and after the Hong Kong Derby is designed to showcase Derby‑quality contenders and to incentivise the import of high‑rated horses (70+). Eligible horses that win or place in designated races will receive a new Premier Series Top-Up Bonus, with a total of approximately HK$20 million available across designated races. When combined with the existing PP Bonus Scheme, eligible Privately Purchased horses (PPs) can earn up to HK$4 million in total bonuses upon reaching all milestones.

In tandem, prize money for The Hong Kong Classic Mile and Hong Kong Classic Cup will each increase by HK$1 million to HK$14 million, while the Hong Kong Derby will rise by HK$2 million to HK$28 million for its 150th edition, representing an overall increase of 8% for the three races. In addition, the HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup over 1200m on the 26/27 Season Opener on 6 September will be promoted to G3 with increased prizemoney of HK$4.2 million.

Conghua Racecourse’s (CRC) state-of-the-art training and rehabilitation facilities have been instrumental to the success of Hong Kong’s world-class racing. On average, 486 horses were trained at Conghua this season, with 281 horses from 20 stables notching up 356 wins, an increase of 28.3% (219 last season) and 17.9% (302 last season) respectively on last season. This translates to a significant increase in the strike rate to almost 41.2% (35.7%). Conghua is already home to the world’s best sprinter Ka Ying Rising, who was recently joined by his fellow Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior. CRC has enabled the Club to advance the Stable Master Plan, facilitating the renovation and upgrading of training facilities at Sha Tin Racecourse.

Turnover / Commingling / World Pool

In total, racing fans enjoyed 88 race meetings this season, including seven summer series fixtures, comprising 865 Hong Kong races and 492 overseas simulcast races.

Total racing wagering turnover for the season was HK$143.31 billion, representing a 3.2% increase on the 2024/25 season. This marks an encouraging return to growth, reflecting the success of strategies introduced last year amid a range of challenges.

Turnover growth was driven primarily by improved field sizes and the continued success of the Club’s globalisation strategy through commingling, simulcasting and the World Pool.

Notably, Hong Kong races attracted record commingling turnover of HK$34.4 billion, an 8.3% increase on the 2024/25 season. This strong performance reflects the high international profile of Hong Kong racing, with 26 countries and more than 60 partners now participating in commingling. A notable highlight was the Chinese New Year Raceday in February, when commingling turnover surged to HK$523.56 million, setting a new record for a single race meeting and surpassing HK$500 million for a second consecutive year.

Hong Kong fans were able to enjoy more of the world’s finest races this season thanks to the Hong Kong SAR Government’s approval in June 2025 to progressively add additional simulcasts as a means to combat illegal gambling on overseas racing. This season, the Club offered 492 simulcast races, which focused on showcasing the world’s Top 100 Group/Grade 1 races. In total, 99 overseas races that had been included in the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities’ (IFHA) Top 100 Group 1 at least once in the previous three years were simulcast, up from 71 in the previous season. Overall, turnover on simulcasting (including World Pool commingling) increased by 23.5% to HK$16.20 billion.

Through the World Pool, the Club aims to offer global pari-mutuel wagering with deep liquidity on the very best international races. This season, the number of World Pool races increased from 296 to 397. These included all 12 of the Club’s Group 1 races, as well as some leading races or meetings for the first time such as the Australian Guineas, All Aged Stakes and Golden Slipper from Australia. Commingling turnover into the World Pool (excluding Club races) recorded a 27.7% increase over the 2024/25 season.

Next season, the progressive expansion of simulcasts will see 70 simulcast days and 55 simulcast races. This expansion enables the Club to cover most of the IFHA World’s Top 100 Group/Grade 1 races and enhances its ability to combat illegal betting while reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as a global leader in horse racing wagering.

Year of the Horse

To celebrate the Year of the Horse, the Club launched a year-long campaign under the theme “Riding High Together in the Year of the Horse” to highlight the contribution of horses and horse racing to the success of Hong Kong. Throughout the year the campaign is honouring Hong Kong’s passion for the horse through thrilling races, international equestrian spectacles and a special series of cultural, sporting and family events.

An outstanding highlight was at Chinese New Year, when the Club sponsored the “Prosperity Gallops Across Hong Kong” Year of the Horse Fireworks Display over Victoria Harbour, enjoyed by over 360,000 people in person. The Club’s spectacular float also took part in the International Chinese New Year Night Parade, while over 98,000 people enjoyed the Year of the Horse Raceday at Sha Tin.

In June, Pony World opened in Penfold Park, providing a unique opportunity for visitors to learn more about horses and equestrian sport. Activities include stable tours, photo-taking with mini ponies and interactive workshops, while children aged 3 to 14 can also enjoy pony rides. This follows the reopening of the upgraded and refurbished Pokfulam Public Riding School in October. The upgraded riding school, with expanded stables and new facilities including an all-weather indoor sand arena, will provide a high-quality environment to further promote equestrian sport as well as provide equine therapy for people with disabilities.

Horse racing tourism continues to surge

The Year of the Horse was the best-ever for horse racing tourism, with the Club’s two Hong Kong racecourses welcoming a record 401,259 visits from Chinese Mainland and overseas tourists, reinforcing the city’s position as an international tourism hub.

This was double the 195,786 tourist visits in the 2024/25 season and quadruple the 93,000 visits in the 2023/24 season – before horse racing tourism was first promoted in the Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address.

Major racedays, in particular, set new records. Five racedays each attracted over 10,000 tourists, with the Year of the Horse Raceday on 19 February setting an all-time record of 20,395 tourists.

This demonstrates the immense appeal of horse racing tourism and also the success of the Club’s strategy to position Hong Kong’s world-class racing as a premier tourism destination on the global stage.

To further promote the racecourse as a must-go experience for tourists and locals, particularly the younger generation, at the beginning of the season the Club unveiled Champions Connection and Genso at Sha Tin Racecourse. Champions Connection connects arriving visitors with an immersive digital environment inspired by horses and nature, while the four-storey digital horse racing hub Genso provides a cutting-edge digital entertainment and dining experience.

Cross-sport initiatives have created new experiences at our racecourses to local racing fans and international visitors – Racing with Golf, Racing with Rugby and Racing with Football showcased the city’s world-class sport and entertainment, reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s events capital.

“It has been a real pleasure to welcome so many tourists from overseas and the Chinese Mainland to our racecourses and to see how much they enjoy the unique quality of our racecourse experience, which is truly like no other. Racing tourism is already a top driver of sports tourism and an important pillar of Hong Kong’s tourism development, and in collaboration with our partners in Hong Kong, overseas and the Chinese Mainland we look forward to welcoming many more tourists to our racecourses,” Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said.

With the addition of Conghua Racecourse (CRC) to the Club’s world-class racing next season, “Two Cities, Three Racecourses” is poised to extend the concept of racecourses as a hub of world-class sports and entertainment beyond Hong Kong to the Greater Bay Area, thereby strengthening Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s events capital.

Conghua Racecourse ready to race

The Club is well-advanced in its preparations for the launch of our world class thoroughbred racing at its Conghua Racecourse in Guangzhou in October 2026. Together, Sha Tin, Happy Valley and Conghua will form a triangle of racecourses that will showcase the quality of the Club’s horse racing sport and entertainment. Most importantly, they will also advance the Club’s support for the National Equine Industry Development Plan, which seeks to develop a high-quality equine industry in the Chinese Mainland.

Following the completion of the iconic grandstand at Conghua, internal fitting-out work is currently in progress. A series of trials and simulations including racing and grandstand operations and hospitality services are underway to ensure operational readiness across every aspect of the raceday experience. The aim is to ensure that the races will be conducted according to the same world-class standards as in Hong Kong, ensuring consistency in integrity, safety and operational excellence.

For visitors, Conghua Racecourse will be a vibrant sports, culture and events destination, featuring a newly developed, immersive and high-quality visitor experience focusing on the sport of horse racing enhanced by digital technology. There will be no wagering on Conghua races.

“The milestone race meeting in Conghua Racecourse on 31 October will make a powerful statement to the world, underlining that Conghua is not only a state-of-the-art training centre but a racecourse capable of staging world-class racing in the Chinese Mainland. The highlight of our Year of the Horse celebrations, it will mark the launch of thoroughbred speed racing at Conghua on a regular basis, delivering the same world-class quality as in Hong Kong,” said Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges.

Moving beyond traditional formats, Conghua will also host competitive “Team Racing” in the future, providing a new and spectator-friendly dimension to the Conghua entertainment experience. The overall vision is for Conghua Racecourse to become a year-round, multi-faceted destination for learning, entertainment, and social connection.

“Through world-class racing, innovative team racing, and special events and carnivals we aim to attract high-end tourism from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland, and overseas. Equine sports will become a key driver in establishing Conghua as a tourist destination, which will stimulate the economy, boost multi-sector consumption across culture, sports, and tourism, advance the development of the equine industry value chain, inject new momentum into regional economic growth, and contribute significantly to economic growth in the Greater Bay Area,” Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges added.

More details will be announced closer to the start of racing at Conghua Racecourse.

Photo HKJC