An “outstanding season” of racing in Hong Kong brought a record number of visitors to the city, boosted turnover and took the Jockey Club’s chief into the summer break full of optimism for what comes next.

Less than 24 hours after the curtain came down on the 2025-26 season at the final meeting at Happy Valley Racecourse, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges laid out plans for the sport’s October debut at the club’s new facility in mainland China.

The HKJC’s chief executive said the season had been a huge success, with 401,259 visitors from the mainland and overseas, more than double the number that made the trip last year, and four times as many recorded for the 2023-24 season.

Turnover hit HK$143.31 billion, up 3.2 per cent on last season, while records also tumbled on the track through the remarkable feats of champion gallopers Ka Ying Rising and Romantic Warrior, who became the first to be crowned joint Horse of the Year at last week’s Champion Awards.

Hong Kong races attracted a record commingling turnover of HK$34.4 billion – up 8.3 per cent on last season.

“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,” Engelbrecht-Bresges said.

“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.

“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.”

Ka Ying Rising’s unblemished campaign included victory in the world’s richest turf race, the A$20 million (HK$109.6 million) The Everest in Australia, and breaking Silent Witness’ Hong Kong record of 17 consecutive wins set 21 years ago.

The club’s World Pool initiative was also a success, with commingling turnover into the World Pool increased 27.7 per cent on last season.

With simulcast races increasing significantly in a bid to combat illegal gambling on overseas racing, turnover from simulcasting increased 23.5 per cent to HK$16.2 billion.

Next season will herald a new era for the Jockey Club, with regular racing to be launched at Guangzhou-based Conghua racecourse from October as part of the National Equine Industry Development Plan.

“The milestone race meeting in Conghua racecourse on October 31 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,” Engelbrecht-Bresges said.

“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.”

While there will be no bettering on Conghua races, the club is keen to “showcase the quality of the club’s horse racing sport and entertainment” at the 150-hectare racing and training centre.

Engelbrecht-Bresges said the sport would move beyond traditional formats at Conghua, with “competitive team racing” to be held there in the future.

“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,” Engelbrecht-Bresges said.

“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.”