https://www.scmp.com/rss/520897/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Hong Kong police and a bomb disposal unit were deployed to a residential area in Happy Valley on Wednesday afternoon after a driver spotted a suspected wartime grenade lodged on a hillside. Police received a report at about 1.40pm from a driver passing the Villa Monte Rosa housing estate on Stubbs Road. The device, described as being roughly the size of a lemon, was found on a slope near the luxury residential complex. Officers from the explosive ordnance disposal bureau were called to the scene... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3346214/suspected-wartime-grenade-found-hong-kong-residential-area?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3346214/suspected-wartime-grenade-found-hong-kong-residential-area?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 08:35:42 +0000 Stephy Zhang Stephy Zhang While more than 70,000 runners took to the streets for the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon on Sunday, a small group held their own “invitational” at the Happy Valley Racecourse. Unable to get places in the 10km race or half-marathon, fitness coach Michael Sik made sure the months of training did not go to waste for himself and a group of committed friends. The “Sik-Fit Invitational Run” was created as a “reason to keep training”. “Without this event as a goal, the effort from the past few... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3340294/runners-who-missed-out-hong-kong-marathon-complete-invitational-race-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3340294/runners-who-missed-out-hong-kong-marathon-complete-invitational-race-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 05:00:20 +0000 Fiona Chow Fiona Chow A domestic helper has been sentenced to five months in jail for abusing an 11‑month‑old baby in her employer’s home in Hong Kong. Eastern Court on Friday heard the guilty plea of the 41-year-old helper, who admitted to ill-treating the baby at a flat in Happy Valley on November 11 last year. The defendant’s full name was concealed, and she was identified only as “AJB” in court proceedings. In mitigation, her lawyer said she was a first-time helper from the Philippines who had struggled to adapt... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3339313/domestic-helper-gets-5-months-jail-hong-kong-abusing-11-month-old-baby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3339313/domestic-helper-gets-5-months-jail-hong-kong-abusing-11-month-old-baby?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 07:30:36 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok An off‑duty Hong Kong auxiliary police officer has been charged with acts outraging public decency after he was arrested for allegedly committing an indecent act while driving a taxi in Causeway Bay. The 57‑year‑old man was suspended from duty following his arrest on September 1 and is scheduled to appear in Eastern Court on Tuesday. Police said the suspect was driving a taxi with a 55‑year‑old woman as his passenger when he allegedly masturbated during the journey. The passenger reportedly... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3338071/hong-kong-auxiliary-policeman-charged-over-alleged-indecent-act-while-driving-taxi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3338071/hong-kong-auxiliary-policeman-charged-over-alleged-indecent-act-while-driving-taxi?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 14:35:23 +0000 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye Hong Kong’s surging residential rents show little sign of easing, with tiny flats in traditionally mid-priced Happy Valley now fetching per-square-foot rates on par with luxury homes on The Peak – a stark indicator of how deeply the city’s rental inflation has spread. One of the units at a serviced apartment development in Happy Valley, The Unit, was recently rented for HK$12,700 (US$1,631) a month, according to Chinese media. The room measures just 117 sq ft, translating to a per-square-foot... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3335382/happy-valley-nano-flats-rival-peak-hong-kongs-rent-squeeze-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3335382/happy-valley-nano-flats-rival-peak-hong-kongs-rent-squeeze-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 04:00:25 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok A domestic helper in Hong Kong has been arrested for allegedly stealing about HK$520,000 (US$66,700) in cash from her employer at a luxury flat in Happy Valley. Police said on Wednesday that the employer, a 59-year-old woman living at The Leighton Hill on Broadwood Road, discovered the money, comprising cash of HK$500,000 and 17,000 yuan (US$2,190), missing and suspected her helper had taken it. The employer, a mainland Chinese woman, reported the case at around 9.30am. Officers arrived at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3332511/helper-arrested-hong-kong-allegedly-stealing-hk520000-employer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3332511/helper-arrested-hong-kong-allegedly-stealing-hk520000-employer?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 11:14:30 +0000 Peta Tomlinson Peta Tomlinson In the decade since starting their interior design studio, Vincent Lim Chin-hwa and Elaine Manzi Lu, partners in business and in life, have evolved personally and professionally. Mostly, says Lim, they’ve come to understand that homes adapt and change, just as their occupants do. Which is why their Happy Valley flat, which they completed last year as Lim + Lu, and as parents of two young girls, stands in stark contrast to their first home, as newlyweds. “As young designers starting out, we... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/design-interiors/article/3328886/why-design-duos-family-home-celebrates-mess-memory-and-grandmas-ceramics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/design-interiors/article/3328886/why-design-duos-family-home-celebrates-mess-memory-and-grandmas-ceramics?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 10:15:11 +0000 Salina Li Salina Li Buyers connected to Hong Kong property developer Great Eagle Holdings have bought another home in the New Territories after snapping up dozens of units across the city in recent months. The 773 sq ft three-bedroom unit at Grand Mayfair II in Kam Tin South, developed by China Overseas, Sino Land and K Wah, was sold for HK$11.99 million (US$1.54 million), or HK$15,510 per square foot, and handed over to Rising Thrive on October 2, according to Land Registry records. Alexander Lo Chun-him, Kan... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3328506/hong-kong-developer-great-eagles-executives-jointly-acquire-us15-million-flat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3328506/hong-kong-developer-great-eagles-executives-jointly-acquire-us15-million-flat?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Oct 2025 07:05:41 +0000 Dave Besseling Dave Besseling “Senior officials of the Royal Hongkong Jockey Club are investigating the possibility of holding night race meetings at Happy Valley […] another step on the professional road which will eventually lead to year-round racing,” reported the South China Morning Post on March 30, 1972. “A leading Hongkong architect has been engaged to draw up the plans for the installation of a floodlighting system […] In the words of one senior steward of the club: ‘We have only one major worry. The state of the... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3328353/when-hong-kongs-happy-valley-got-night-racing-and-running-1973?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3328353/when-hong-kongs-happy-valley-got-night-racing-and-running-1973?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 10:15:13 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal,Salina Li Cheryl Arcibal,Salina Li Hang Seng Bank chief operating officer Vivien Chiu Wai-man has paid HK$40 million (US$5.14 million) for a 1,651 sq ft luxury flat in Happy Valley, joining a growing list of top business executives and affluent residents who are buying high-end real estate in Hong Kong amid an improving property market. The flat in Beverly Hill on Broadwood Road was handed over to Chiu on October 6, according to Land Registry records. Chiu paid HK$24,228 per square foot for the flat, which was a record this year... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3328392/hang-seng-bank-coo-pays-us514-million-luxury-flat-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3328392/hang-seng-bank-coo-pays-us514-million-luxury-flat-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 10:04:32 +0000 Lars Hamer Lars Hamer Tens of thousands of punters packed into Hong Kong’s Happy Valley Racecourse to soak up the party atmosphere on the last day of the horse racing season on Wednesday, with many saying it was the busiest they had ever seen. A full house, estimated to be around 20,000 spectators, attended Happy Wednesday, which featured live bands, DJs and a fireworks display. Happy Wednesday is one of Hong Kong’s two horse racing events that run weekly throughout the season. The Happy Valley event is known to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3318491/about-20000-spectators-pack-happy-valley-soak-final-day-horse-racing-season?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3318491/about-20000-spectators-pack-happy-valley-soak-final-day-horse-racing-season?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jul 2025 14:49:52 +0000 Sam Agars Sam Agars Happy Valley will see Class Two action for the first time in three weeks on Wednesday night and a course-and-distance specialist entered the fray on Tuesday to make the Wan Chai Gap Handicap (1,200m) all the more interesting. With last-start Valley 1,000m winner Glory Elite scratched because of a tendon injury, Son Pak Fu was brought off the bench and given the chance to add to his seven career victories – all over 1,200m at the city circuit. Son Pak Fu’s latest success came in a Class One over... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3312905/scratching-gives-son-pak-fu-chance-chase-eighth-valley-1200m-success-loaded-class-two?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3312905/scratching-gives-son-pak-fu-chance-chase-eighth-valley-1200m-success-loaded-class-two?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Jun 2025 09:59:01 +0000 Jiang Chuqin Jiang Chuqin Hong Kong police have arrested a domestic helper on suspicion of stealing cash and gold jewellery valued at nearly HK$300,000 (US$38,510) from her employer, the second such case in three days. Police said a 43-year-old woman made a report at 1.40am on Tuesday, saying that cash and jewellery were missing and possibly stolen from her flat in Dragon Terrace, North Point. The force later arrested a 39-year-old domestic worker from the Philippines for allegedly stealing about HK$24,000 in cash and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3310151/domestic-helper-arrested-hong-kong-stealing-hk300000-cash-jewellery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3310151/domestic-helper-arrested-hong-kong-stealing-hk300000-cash-jewellery?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 May 2025 08:31:19 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing Hong Kong police have arrested a domestic helper on suspicion of stealing more than HK$203,000 (US$26,025) in cash from her employer’s flat in Happy Valley. The woman was detained on Sunday night, hours after her 63-year-old female employer reported the alleged theft at the upmarket residential complex The Leighton Hill. The Indonesian helper, 43, was accused of stealing HK$200,000 and 65,000 yen (US$446) from the flat, the force said on Monday. The helper was detained during an investigation by... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3309955/helper-arrested-hong-kong-allegedly-stealing-hk203000-boss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3309955/helper-arrested-hong-kong-allegedly-stealing-hk203000-boss?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 May 2025 04:25:27 +0000 He’s got a couple of Group One rides to look forward to this weekend but it’s a Class Three sprinter giving Harry Bentley cause for excitement ahead of Wednesday night’s Happy Valley meeting. After consecutive fast-finishing thirds from double-figure draws, Young Arrow has scored gate two for the second section of the Class Three Ma Wan Handicap (1,200m). “I really like Young Arrow. He’s drawn well for the first time in a very long time, so that’s going to help him,” said Bentley, who partners... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3298983/harry-bentley-eyes-happy-valley-bullseye-tackling-group-ones-hes-one-im-really-looking-forward?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3298983/harry-bentley-eyes-happy-valley-bullseye-tackling-group-ones-hes-one-im-really-looking-forward?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Feb 2025 07:51:25 +0000 Mr Ascendency thrived on a five-day backup to seal a double for Ricky Yiu Poon-fai and help Luke Ferraris continue his hot form with victory in Wednesday night’s Class Two Tsun Yip Handicap (1,650m) at Happy Valley. On the quick turnaround from a close second to stablemate Green N White at Sha Tin, former United Kingdom galloper Mr Ascendency stormed home from second last to claim his fifth victory from 32 starts in Hong Kong. Yiu, who notched the first leg of his Valley double with Hayday in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3297521/mr-ascendency-handles-quick-backup-clinch-double-ricky-yiu-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3297521/mr-ascendency-handles-quick-backup-clinch-double-ricky-yiu-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Feb 2025 15:06:42 +0000 He captured Happy Valley’s only Group race last month and Harry Bentley is on the hunt for more success at the city circuit with a solid book of rides on Wednesday. Bentley landed the Group Three January Cup (1,800m) aboard Helene Feeling on January 8 and teams up with Danny Shum Chap-shing’s galloper again on the midweek card in the Class Two Tsun Yip Handicap (1,650m). The son of Sioux Nation defied barrier nine and a wide trip throughout to battle to a three-quarter-length victory in the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3297138/bullish-harry-bentley-hopes-group-three-winner-can-leave-happy-valley-rivals-feeling-blue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3297138/bullish-harry-bentley-hopes-group-three-winner-can-leave-happy-valley-rivals-feeling-blue?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Feb 2025 05:41:03 +0000 Hong Kong’s history is scarred by tragic accidents, from the devastating Happy Valley racecourse stand collapse fire in 1918 to the 1993 lift crash that led to the territory’s first corporate manslaughter conviction. Revisit these five stories from the South China Morning Post archives and learn how they shaped Hong Kong’s safety regulations and construction practices. 1. When 600 people were killed in Happy Valley racecourse stand collapse and inferno 100 years ago The catastrophic collapse of... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3292335/hong-kong-building-disasters-happy-valley-stand-collapse-and-inferno-construction-site-tragedies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3292335/hong-kong-building-disasters-happy-valley-stand-collapse-and-inferno-construction-site-tragedies?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Jan 2025 19:15:08 +0000 In his bid to capture the first leg of the four-year-old series, Pierre Ng Pang-chi has called upon December’s runaway International Jockeys’ Championship winner Mickael Barzalona to ride Johannes Brahms in the Classic Mile on January 31. The Frenchman put on a masterclass on Happy Valley’s biggest night in December and has been snapped up by Ng after the handler revealed James McDonald was unable to take the ride for the HK$13 million contest. “James couldn’t make the trip and we thought... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3295865/pierre-ng-books-mickael-barzalona-classic-mile-ride-and-celebrates-much-needed-happy-valley-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3295865/pierre-ng-books-mickael-barzalona-classic-mile-ride-and-celebrates-much-needed-happy-valley-win?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jan 2025 15:56:26 +0000 Zac Purton broke Douglas Whyte’s all-time record for Hong Kong wins at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, creating history with a double at the city circuit. Needing two wins to surpass Whyte’s figure of 1,813, Purton struck with his first ride of the night on Spirit Of Peace in race three, but he had to wait until the ninth and final race on the card to clinch the outright record when booting home View Of The World. The seven-time champion Hong Kong jockey was presented with a specially-designed... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3295864/zac-purton-breaks-douglas-whytes-all-time-record-hong-kong-wins-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3295864/zac-purton-breaks-douglas-whytes-all-time-record-hong-kong-wins-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jan 2025 15:45:20 +0000 Sam Agars SIGHT HAPPY - R5 (5) Purton jumps back aboard in-form horse from improved draw   Jay Rooney SIGHT HAPPY - R5 (5) Massive run last start and looks well placed with Purton back on   Jack Dawling HAPPY FAT CAT - R8 (10) Can build on promising effort last start and dictate proceedings tonight   Phillip Woo SIGHT HAPPY - R5 (5) Is in a purple patch of form and looks a major chance from gate two   Shannon (Vincent Wong) ROCKET SPADE - R7 (3) Back to his favourite trip and looks hard to beat... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3295698/scmp-best-bets-purtons-return-pleasant-sight-punters-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3295698/scmp-best-bets-purtons-return-pleasant-sight-punters-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jan 2025 13:30:15 +0000 As Zac Purton eyes a slice of history at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, the man whose monumental record is about to be broken has paid tribute to his former arch rival. With 1,812 wins, Purton needs just one more to tie Douglas Whyte’s all-time record in Hong Kong and two to break it when he takes seven rides at the city circuit. “It stood for a long time and as I’ve mentioned before, no better person to take it over than Zac,” said Whyte, who called time on his illustrious career in the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3295436/douglas-whyte-pays-tribute-zac-purton-history-awaits-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3295436/douglas-whyte-pays-tribute-zac-purton-history-awaits-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jan 2025 05:05:59 +0000 David Eustace has made something of a habit of landing long-priced winners in the early months of his Hong Kong career and he’ll look to orchestrate yet another boilover when he saddles up his first Group One runner in the city at Sha Tin on Sunday. Fresh off a 166-1 Happy Valley double which included $42 winner Definitive, Eustace will take aim at the brilliant Ka Ying Rising with recent acquisition Victor The Winner in this weekend’s Group One Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m). “It’s a surprise... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3294944/fresh-166-1-happy-valley-double-david-eustace-enters-hong-kongs-group-one-picture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3294944/fresh-166-1-happy-valley-double-david-eustace-enters-hong-kongs-group-one-picture?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jan 2025 02:19:43 +0000 History awaits Zac Purton as soon as Sunday after the champion jockey moved to within four wins of breaking Douglas Whyte’s all-time Hong Kong record with a double at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. Purton’s relentless pursuit of Whyte’s benchmark of 1,813 wins continued when he booted home Kasa Papa in the opening race and Bottomuptogether in the night’s feature, the Class Two Jackson Handicap (1,000m). With his rides on Sunday’s 11-race card at Sha Tin headlined by star sprinter Ka Ying... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3294927/zac-purton-just-four-wins-breaking-douglas-whytes-record-after-happy-valley-double?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3294927/zac-purton-just-four-wins-breaking-douglas-whytes-record-after-happy-valley-double?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jan 2025 15:20:28 +0000 Danny Shum Chap-shing shot to the top of the trainers’ championship at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, with his Group Three January Cup (1,800m) triumph with Helene Feeling highlighting a dominant four-timer. The veteran handler had a night to remember just a day after copping a HK$300,000 (US$38,562) fine after he was charged with making “privileged information available to persons not entitled to receive such information, in respect to three horses he was training”. Wins by Judy’s Great,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3293968/danny-shum-soars-championship-lead-january-cup-highlighting-happy-valley-four-timer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3293968/danny-shum-soars-championship-lead-january-cup-highlighting-happy-valley-four-timer?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jan 2025 15:27:35 +0000 Frankie Lor Fu-chuen is confident he has all bases covered in Wednesday’s Group Three January Cup (1,800m) as he chases a third consecutive win in the contest with his three-horse team. Lor landed Happy Valley’s sole Group race with Money Catcher and Happy Together in 2023 and 2024, respectively, and the pair return along with stablemate Flamingo Trillion in Wednesday’s 12-runner contest. Happy Together was only beaten two and a quarter lengths in last month’s Group One Hong Kong Mile and Lor... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3293559/frankie-lor-chases-january-cup-hat-trick-strong-trio-he-loves-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3293559/frankie-lor-chases-january-cup-hat-trick-strong-trio-he-loves-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Jan 2025 05:37:27 +0000 Zac Purton equalled one record and continued his relentless surge towards another with a season-best six wins – including three for trainer Dennis Yip Chor-hong – at Happy Valley on Thursday night. After a Boxing Day bonanza on Super Charizzard, Noisy Boy, Northern Fire Ball, View Of The World, The Azure and Aurora Lady, Purton matched the record for most wins at a Happy Valley meeting set by Brett Prebble in 2010. The champion jockey boosted his imposing career tally to 1,797 Hong Kong wins as... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3292366/zac-purton-has-boxing-day-remember-season-best-six-timer-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3292366/zac-purton-has-boxing-day-remember-season-best-six-timer-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Dec 2024 15:13:57 +0000 David Hayes is in full support of Happy Valley’s expanded Boxing Day card, which is believed to be the first 10-race night meeting at the city circuit. A third Class Four 1,650m contest was added to the meeting last week, meaning the action will kick off at 6.10pm on Thursday. “I think it’s a wonderful thing. I’m all for it because it’s hard for the owners when they’ve got horses in training and they can’t get runs,” said Hayes. “We need the extra races at the moment because there are just too... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3291958/david-hayes-backs-happy-valleys-boxing-day-bonanza?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3291958/david-hayes-backs-happy-valleys-boxing-day-bonanza?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Dec 2024 05:23:22 +0000 Andrea Atzeni hopes he can continue his good run of form at Happy Valley at this week’s nine-race card with a solid book of rides at his disposal. Eight of Atzeni’s 12 wins this season have come at the city circuit and he is confident he has the ammunition to get back on the scoreboard, with one last-start winner and three last-start seconds among his seven-strong squad. “It’s going well there and it looks like they’re all chances,” Atzeni said. “Funnily enough, it was other way around last... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3290114/andrea-atzeni-looks-maintain-strong-happy-valley-form-theyre-all-chances?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3290114/andrea-atzeni-looks-maintain-strong-happy-valley-form-theyre-all-chances?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Dec 2024 05:47:45 +0000 While the buzz and the bright lights of the Hong Kong International Races are behind us, there are still plenty of reasons to be cheerful as the 2024-25 season enters a busy festive period. It’s back to business as usual as we head to Wednesday’s programme at Happy Valley, with a pair of Class Threes highlighting the nine-race card. And while the action might not get the pulse racing quite like last week’s International Jockeys’ Championship, punters and racing fans alike can strap themselves in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3289966/heavyweight-fight-between-james-mcdonald-and-zac-purton-continues-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3289966/heavyweight-fight-between-james-mcdonald-and-zac-purton-continues-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Dec 2024 06:22:15 +0000 He had to endure yet another runner-up finish in the Longines International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC), but James McDonald still ensured he will enter a huge weekend in top form thanks to a treble at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. McDonald snared three of the last five races on the card to warm up beautifully for Group One rides aboard Romantic Warrior, Voyage Bubble, Howdeepisyourlove and Ensued at Sunday’s Hong Kong International Races (HKIR). He opened his account aboard Prince Alex in the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3289404/james-mcdonald-lands-happy-valley-treble-has-settle-international-jockeys-championship-second?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3289404/james-mcdonald-lands-happy-valley-treble-has-settle-international-jockeys-championship-second?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Dec 2024 16:02:50 +0000 Colin Keane is the most popular pick to win Wednesday night’s Longines International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) at Happy Valley, with three of the South China Morning Post’s racing tipsters siding with the Irish jockey. Keane has been popular with punters since betting opened, shortening from $14 to $9, while reigning champion Vincent Ho Chak-yiu has firmed into $5.5 favouritism. There are four IJC point-scoring races – the fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth events at the city circuit – with 12... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3289287/who-wins-international-jockeys-championship-happy-valley-heres-what-our-tipsters-think?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3289287/who-wins-international-jockeys-championship-happy-valley-heres-what-our-tipsters-think?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Dec 2024 06:18:39 +0000 Tony Cruz admits Hong Kong’s limited programme has forced his hand with Derby hopeful Stunning Peach, who races at Happy Valley for the first time on Wednesday night. A winner on one of his three starts in the city last term, Stunning Peach returned with a luckless fifth over 1,600m at Sha Tin on October 20 and will tackle the tight turns of the city circuit from gate seven in the Class Two Japan Handicap (1,800m). “It’s his first time at the Valley and the programme is so limited,” Cruz said.... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3289159/stunning-peach-cherry-ripe-happy-valley-test-after-programme-prompts-switch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3289159/stunning-peach-cherry-ripe-happy-valley-test-after-programme-prompts-switch?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Dec 2024 08:55:21 +0000 Building up to a dual-pronged assault on the Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR), Frankie Lor Fu-chuen has high hopes Horsepower can extend his winning streak when he steps out at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. The veteran handler has Lucky With You set for the Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) and Happy Together bound for the Group One Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin’s marquee meeting on December 8. But his immediate aim is another victory with Horsepower, who chases a fourth... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3287989/frankie-lor-eyes-more-happy-valley-success-horsepower-hkir-tilt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3287989/frankie-lor-eyes-more-happy-valley-success-horsepower-hkir-tilt?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Nov 2024 05:23:13 +0000 The painting, rendered in successive dabs of watercolour, is utopian at first glance. A column of troops, clad in bright ceremonial colours, crests a ridge in orderly rows. Before them, a bucolic landscape unfolds: a plain quilted with rice paddies, bisected by a brook, a hamlet visible in the far distance, all enclosed by wooded mountains. But upon closer inspection, all is not as it seems. At the head of the column is a coffin belonging to a British navy commander and draped in the British... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3287758/little-known-history-one-hong-kongs-oldest-districts-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3287758/little-known-history-one-hong-kongs-oldest-districts-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Nov 2024 22:15:08 +0000 In its aim to bring the next generation of fans through the turnstiles, the Jockey Club hopes a pair of new venues at Happy Valley can change the game of racecourse experience. Combining AI innovation with entertainment, The Beat and Vantage – located on the second and third floor of the Pavilion Stand at Happy Valley racecourse – hope to provide customers with a one-stop shop for everything digital, dining and racing. The venues come with features such as an AI parade ring and interactive race... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3287646/jockey-club-hopes-new-happy-valley-venues-can-entice-next-generation-horse-racing-fans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3287646/jockey-club-hopes-new-happy-valley-venues-can-entice-next-generation-horse-racing-fans?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Nov 2024 04:03:01 +0000 Karis Teetan clinched the final berth in next month’s Longines International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) after booting home Take Action at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. Locked in a tight battle with Matthew Poon Ming-fai for the fourth spot on Hong Kong’s team, Teetan had just three rides at the final meeting before the IJC line-up was confirmed. But the Mauritian made the most of his opportunity on the John Size-trained Take Action in the Class Four Yuen Long Handicap (1,650m), extending his... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3287439/karis-teetan-snares-final-spot-international-jockeys-championship-happy-valley-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3287439/karis-teetan-snares-final-spot-international-jockeys-championship-happy-valley-win?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Nov 2024 15:21:11 +0000 Sam Agars ROMANTIC SON - R9 (8) Has had to wait an extra week because of a typhoon but can break through here   Jay Rooney SILO - R7 (7) Has gone close in his past three and should be hard to beat in his Valley debut   Jack Dawling EASON - R9 (3) Promising third first up and may take a step forward from gate two   Phillip Woo APOLAR FIGHTER - R2 (4) Can salute from a proper draw after two positive runs   Shannon (Vincent Wong) NINJA DERBY - R2 (10) Kept on well enough for fourth last start and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3287281/scmp-best-bets-eason-easy-formula-success-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3287281/scmp-best-bets-eason-easy-formula-success-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Nov 2024 14:05:07 +0000 Jockey Club officials abandoned the final three races at Happy Valley on Wednesday night after it was announced the No 8 typhoon signal would be issued. With Tropical Storm Toraji edging closer to Hong Kong, the No 8 signal was hoisted at 11.10pm – just 20 minutes after the final event on Happy Valley’s nine-race card was scheduled to be run. “Consistent with our ongoing commitment to the safety of our patrons both here and in the off-course betting shops and our staff, we won’t proceed with... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3286454/jockey-club-abandons-last-three-races-happy-valley-amid-t8-typhoon-warning-signal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3286454/jockey-club-abandons-last-three-races-happy-valley-amid-t8-typhoon-warning-signal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Nov 2024 15:14:06 +0000 Sam Agars ROMANTIC SON - R9 (8) Did everything but win on Hong Kong debut and can go one better tonight   Jay Rooney THE PERFECT MATCH - R6 (4) Rocketed home impressively from last first up and can settle closer here   Jack Dawling SHINKANSEN - R5 (11) Knocking on the door lately and looks ready to notch an overdue win   Phillip Woo PRAWNS ELEVEN - R9 (5) Comes off an eye-catching second and should go one better   Shannon (Vincent Wong) HAPPY DAILY - R3 (4) Has raced well in defeat last two... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3286287/scmp-best-bets-all-aboard-shinkansen-happy-valley-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3286287/scmp-best-bets-all-aboard-shinkansen-happy-valley-success?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Nov 2024 14:15:06 +0000 When David Hayes shifted his attention from Sha Tin to Flemington at about 1.31pm on Saturday, he was confident Circuit Jolly had his debut victory in the bag. But while Lindsay Park’s banner horse, Mr Brightside, made no mistake for Hayes’ sons Ben, Will & JD on his way to landing an eighth Group One success in the Champions Mile, Circuit Jolly cost himself any chance of victory for the second time in as many starts by jumping a mark in the Sha Tin straight. “It happened smack in the middle of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3286051/happy-valley-next-jumping-jolly-while-things-going-smoothly-ka-ying-rising?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3286051/happy-valley-next-jumping-jolly-while-things-going-smoothly-ka-ying-rising?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Nov 2024 08:01:03 +0000 Karis Teetan joined an elite group of jockeys to ride 700 winners in Hong Kong when he celebrated the major milestone at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. The Mauritian jockey timed his run to perfection on Speedstar, who stormed home from the back half of the field to claim the first section of the Class Five Tai Lam Chung Handicap (1,200m). A champion apprentice in South Africa, Teetan notched his first Hong Kong win in 2013 and has risen to become one of the city’s top riders. “It’s an amazing... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3285483/karis-teetan-becomes-sixth-jockey-ride-700-hong-kong-winners-happy-valley-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3285483/karis-teetan-becomes-sixth-jockey-ride-700-hong-kong-winners-happy-valley-success?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Nov 2024 15:06:33 +0000 Mark Newnham has high hopes Full Credit will relish a change in venue when the lightly-raced four-year-old heads to Happy Valley for the first time on Wednesday night. A three-time winner from six starts last term, Full Credit bids to bounce back from a below-par effort on seasonal reappearance at Sha Tin when he jumps from the inside gate in Wednesday’s Class Three Plover Cove Handicap (1,200m). While Full Credit failed to fire first up on yielding ground over the Sha Tin 1,200m in September,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3285236/mark-newnham-full-optimism-ahead-credits-happy-valley-debut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3285236/mark-newnham-full-optimism-ahead-credits-happy-valley-debut?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Nov 2024 06:06:07 +0000 Caspar Fownes caught fire on the second half of Wednesday night’s Happy Valley card, banging in a treble in the space of four races to move into second in the trainers’ premiership. After Capital Legend delivered on the quick backup in the first section of the Class Four Bedford Handicap (1,650m), Daring Pursuit showed his class to snare the Class Three Fife Handicap (1,650m) and Sugar Sugar finished the job in the Class Three Hing Yip Handicap (1,200m). “Hong Kong is tough, so tough, but it’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3284522/caspar-fownes-fires-rapid-happy-valley-treble?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3284522/caspar-fownes-fires-rapid-happy-valley-treble?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Oct 2024 15:45:53 +0000 With a lengthy winless streak broken, Angus Chung Yik-lai hopes to build on the momentum of his breakthrough victory when he rides Gustosisimo at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. Battling through a slow start to the season, the reigning Tony Cruz Award winner snapped a drought of 67 rides without success when he booted home Happy Tango in Sunday’s Class Four Kwangtung Cup (1,000m) at the city circuit. It was only Chung’s second triumph of the term, with his first back on September 15 aboard Team... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3284292/angus-chung-turns-gustosisimo-continue-momentum-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3284292/angus-chung-turns-gustosisimo-continue-momentum-happy-valley?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Oct 2024 06:32:56 +0000 Every October, fans and participants alike pose the question – why are there not more day meetings at Happy Valley? Sunday’s annual weekend fixture at the city circuit went off a treat – turnover and crowd numbers were up considerably, the vibe was sensational and it provided a fantastic change from the regular Sha Tin cards. Traditionally laid-back affairs where all involved are more relaxed than at a usual weekend meeting, Sunday’s fixture was the first in recent times to follow in the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3284242/why-more-weekend-racing-happy-valley-absolute-no-brainer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3284242/why-more-weekend-racing-happy-valley-absolute-no-brainer?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Oct 2024 01:10:16 +0000 Fresh from the biggest moment in his fledgling Hong Kong career, David Eustace hopes to add to his Happy Valley success when first-up winner Swift Ascend headlines his team of three runners on Wednesday night. The 32-year-old handler is still on a high after bagging his first double in the city on Sunday, courtesy of the impressive Charity Gain and $42.8 outsider Young Emperor. Turning his attention to the city circuit’s next programme, Eustace boasts two strong chances in Swift Ascend and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3284124/swift-ascend-spearheads-david-eustaces-bid-more-happy-valley-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3284124/swift-ascend-spearheads-david-eustaces-bid-more-happy-valley-success?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Oct 2024 06:10:27 +0000 Copartner Prance continued his impressive form at Happy Valley with a dramatic win in Sunday’s Class Two Guangzhou Handicap (1,200m). Searching for a sixth consecutive victory at the city circuit, Copartner Prance was prominent throughout from the inside gate and pulled out all the stops under Zac Purton to deny the fast-finishing Lucky Encounter. There was a lengthy wait before the judge ruled in favour of Francis Lui Kin-wai’s five-year-old, with the champion trainer admitting he initially... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3284074/copartner-prance-secures-sixth-straight-happy-valley-win-dramatic-style?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3284074/copartner-prance-secures-sixth-straight-happy-valley-win-dramatic-style?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Oct 2024 12:23:10 +0000 He might have won the trainer challenge, but David Hayes could well have been the unluckiest man at Happy Valley on Sunday. The Australian handler had high hopes of converting a strong team of eight runners to winners but he left empty-handed after having to endure five seconds. Red Majesty and Lucky Encounter were both beaten by the barest of margins when going down by a nose, Allgreektome was run down by a neck, Romantic Son fell half a length short in his Hong Kong debut and Young Horizon was... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3284069/david-hayes-wins-happy-valley-trainer-challenge-without-victory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3284069/david-hayes-wins-happy-valley-trainer-challenge-without-victory?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Oct 2024 11:48:08 +0000 David Eustace’s satisfaction from seeing Charity Gain deliver on expectation quickly turned to surprise when Young Emperor saluted at knockout odds to complete the handler’s maiden Hong Kong double at Happy Valley on Sunday. Eustace only saddled up three runners at the city circuit’s annual day fixture but that didn’t stop him landing a 240-1 double to take his win tally to three in his first season training in the city. A horse Eustace identified before the season as one with ability, Young... https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3284066/surprised-david-eustace-breaks-new-ground-240-1-happy-valley-double?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/racing/article/3284066/surprised-david-eustace-breaks-new-ground-240-1-happy-valley-double?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Oct 2024 11:11:34 +0000