Hong Kong racing showed its strength as both sport and entertainment on National Day, drawing a record 13,097 mainland and international visitors to Sha Tin — the highest ever — out of a total attendance of 34,073.
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The figure shattered the previous record of 9,654, set during this year’s Chinese New Year meeting, underscoring the sport’s expanding cross-border appeal and tourism value.
“It’s amazing,” said Hong Kong Jockey Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges. “We beat even Chinese New Year — this is by far the highest. I was a little bit disappointed we couldn’t get three more through the door, that would be easier to remember, but this is an outstanding result.”
Engelbrecht-Bresges said the turnout reflected the Club’s success in repositioning Hong Kong racing as a complete entertainment and tourism experience, built on the foundation of elite sport.
“There is a completely new dimension from this positioning of Hong Kong racing as entertainment and tourism,” he said. “But it’s in the end anchored and based on world-class racing and world-class sport.”
The festive atmosphere was matched by thrilling finishes on the track and a stirring rendition of the national anthem by celebrated Chinese tenor Zhang Yingxi, one of the mainland’s most recognized singers, who returned to Sha Tin for the occasion.
“He has a huge following,” Engelbrecht-Bresges said. “I think this is a real attraction. I think what we are seeing is a change of perception of mainland visitors — that you can go to a racecourse in Hong Kong.”
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The day’s HK$1.56 billion betting turnover edged above last year’s figure, but Engelbrecht-Bresges stressed that the sport’s future lies beyond wagering, pointing to partnerships with approved mainland travel groups plus plans for alternate revenue streams from merchandising.
“We feel there’s a significant chance to create completely new income streams,” he said. “This is about the experience — racing as sport, as entertainment, and as part of Hong Kong’s tourism identity.”
On the track, Fast Network won the Group 3 National Day Cup for local trainer Dennis Yip Chor-hung and French jockey Alexis Badel.
