The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) has officially announced the launch date for its first-ever race meeting in mainland China, confirming that the inaugural event at Conghua Racecourse will take place on October 31, 2026. The event will feature “five or six” races and serve as a milestone for the expansion of professional horse racing in the region.
Situated roughly 150 kilometers north of Hong Kong, the Conghua Racecourse is poised to become a focal point of the Club’s regional racing ambitions. The facility, which previously served as the equestrian venue for the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, has been transformed into a comprehensive racing and training complex.
“The date is confirmed and it will be on October 31,” said Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the HKJC’s chief executive officer, according to Idol Horse. “We will publish the launch programme later, but it’s likely to be five or six races.”
The initial plan to open the venue in April 2026 was postponed to allow more time for the completion of final construction work. The decision also accounted for potential weather disruptions during the summer months and to better align with the release of China’s upcoming National Equine Industry Development Plan.
Aligning With China’s Equine Industry Vision
The upcoming five-year plan for China’s equine sector is expected to be unveiled in March 2026, replacing the current framework that spans from 2020 to 2025. Engelbrecht-Bresges emphasized that the forthcoming plan would play a key role in shaping the Club’s long-term strategy for racing in the mainland.
“The whole National Equine Industry Development Plan was from 2020-2025, so we expect there will be a new plan in March 2026,” he explained. “That will outline the next five years and give us more information on policy direction. We’ll also determine how many meetings there will be [at Conghua] when we look at the horse population and everything else some time next year.”
While the October 2026 debut will be a landmark event, the HKJC plans to start on a modest scale. Engelbrecht-Bresges confirmed that the first meeting would likely be limited to officials and invited guests, with the second meeting—scheduled for late November—serving as the public launch. “The first meeting will most likely be an officials and invited guests meeting,” he said. “Then the second meeting, which will be at the end of November, will be the first real launch for everyone. It will be the launch of world-class racing in mainland China.”
A State-of-the-Art Facility With Global Ambitions
Spanning approximately 150 hectares, Conghua Racecourse is more than twice the size of Hong Kong’s famed Sha Tin Racecourse. Its expansive grounds include modern training tracks, stabling facilities, and spectator areas. The course also sits within a designated military “no-fly zone,” with the drive from Sha Tin taking about three hours.
The site has already played an active role in Hong Kong’s racing ecosystem. Since its completion, Conghua has become an essential training and rehabilitation center for Hong Kong-based horses. During the 2024–25 racing season, 37 percent of HKJC runners used its facilities, including top performers like Ka Ying Rising and Voyage Bubble.
The racecourse first hosted an exhibition meeting in March 2019, featuring a five-race card broadcast to Hong Kong with a 15-minute delay. The event drew around 3,000 spectators and served as a successful proof of concept for future racing activities on the mainland.
Strengthening Infrastructure for the Future
The HKJC’s latest annual report, covering the 2024–25 season, confirmed that the organization has acquired land near Conghua for an equine transfer center. The facility will serve as a quarantine and logistics hub for horse imports and exports between Hong Kong and mainland China, supporting the long-term development of a sustainable breeding and racing industry.
“The quarantine station will be ready in April 2027,” Engelbrecht-Bresges said. “It’s very close to Conghua on the edge of the disease-free zone.”
With the new racecourse, transfer center, and alignment with China’s national equine strategy, the HKJC is positioning itself at the forefront of the sport’s expansion into the mainland. The October 2026 debut not only marks the next phase in the Club’s growth but also signals a new era for world-class horse racing in China.
