Horse racing began unofficially in Hong Kong almost as soon as the British military began landing in 1841.
At first, it was a merely a few army officers and wealthy businessmen who were taking part.
But by 1884, the enthusiasts had drained a dangerous malarial swamp at Happy Valley and a rough track was laid out. The Hong Kong Jockey Club was founded in 1884.
For the next half century, its meetings were the prime events on the social calendar. Governors, great taipans, civil servants, merchants and visitors crowded into makeshift stands, then into progressively more splendid structures.
The sport quickly caught on and a day at the races became a special occasion for all, with the hawker betting in the public stand probably as shrewd a judge of the odds as a banker in the members' stand.
The great change came with the switch from amateur racing to professional in 1971. From the start, the club focused much of its activities on the charitable role.
