A surge in betting turnover has coincided with the celebration of three outstanding horses, as the Hong Kong Jockey Club ushers in the most exciting era in its existence.

Local punters bet £13.2 billion on the ten-month season from September to July, an increase of three per cent on the previous season which had seen a 4.5 per cent slip.

That dip had caused some to think that betting in Hong Kong may have reached a plateau but a rigorous revamping of jackpots on exotic bets, plus an extension of the international network for pools on Hong Kong racing to embrace 26 countries and more than 70 partners, resulted in a 10.1 per cent increase in turnover from commingling.

Perhaps it was coincidence, but Romantic Warrior adding to his international Group 1 haul in the Jebel Hatta in Dubai and then heroically finishing a close second in the Saudi Cup and Dubai Turf did much for the reputation of Hong Kong horses on the international scene.

His exploits in winning Group 1s in Australia, Japan and Dubai, as well as his local dominance, including a third Hong Kong Cup success, raised his profile and that of trainer Danny Shum and jockey James McDonald and elevated racing to mainstream news. 

Globally, Hong Kong again captured attention as Romantic Warrior was joined at the top table by Ka Ying Rising, a New Zealand-bred who had found his way to Lindsay Park stables, the Hayes family’s famed Australian outfit, and then on to David Hayes at Sha Tin.

The four-year-old gelding by Shamexpress has compiled 13 wins and two seconds from 15 starts, including 12 wins in a row. He has not been beaten since January 2024 and has been described by Hayes, an Australian Hall of Famer, as the best he has trained. 

In the most competitive year in memory at the top level, Ka Ying Rising was voted Horse of the Year and Hayes confirmed he is pressing ahead with plans to run the gelding this October in The Everest, which with A$20m on offer is Australia’s richest race.

To complete the Hong Kong triumvirate of stars, the Ricky Yiu-trained Voyage Bubble, a six-year-old by Australian sire Deep Field, became only the second in history – and the first in 31 years – to pull off the older horse Triple Crown, which encompasses races ranging from a mile to 1m4f.

Voyage Bubble and James McDonald land the Hong Kong Mile at the International Races meeting at Sha Tin in DecemberCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Attendance figures for the 88 local meetings were a highly respectable 1.7 million, which is an average of 19,300 per raceday. Even Hong Kong though, with its legions of passionate punters, has found it takes work and imagination to keep the crowds coming.

Happy Wednesday Nights have become a feature of racing at Happy Valley and a magnet for tourists. Positioned near the outside rail just over a furlong from the finishing line, the enclosure houses bars and fast-food outlets, plus musical entertainment between races.

At Sha Tin there has been a significant focus on developing racing tourism, which has been recognised by the chief executive of the Special Administrative Region. A total of 195,786 mainland tourists attended across the season and this is widely viewed as an important growth area.

It also throws the spotlight on Conghua, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s state-of-the-art training complex that is ready to launch as a racecourse with an iconic grandstand near completion and its first meeting next year as a likely highlight of the 2026-27 season. 

There are 440 horses trained at Conghua under the direct control of 19 trainers in Hong Kong and 219 of those horses won 302 races over the season. 

Close to £1bn has been invested in the Conghua project, which is the most adventurous and exciting attempted in the 141-year history of the club. Conghua has already been described by jockeys who have ridden the course to be as good or better than Sha Tin, being more spacious.

The one snag is that there can be no betting, as gambling is forbidden in China. Conghua is on the fringes of one of the nine cities of Guangdong province, which together with the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau form the Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Tellingly, the GBA is included in China’s plans for developing a high-quality equine industry on the mainland. This comes under the title National Equine Industry Development Plan and observers predict its evolution will have a direct bearing on the Conghua venture. 

Not since the opening of Sha Tin in 1978 has there been a more gripping and exciting time in the long history of the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Atzeni steps up to join the top tier

Andrea Atzeni completed a highly successful second season in Hong Kong, improving his position to finish third in the jockeys’ championship behind Zac Purton and Hugh Bowman and sparking debate on whether he can one day capture the title.

Purton was crowned champion for the eighth time, chalking up 138 wins after sewing up the title more than two months ago. He finished 66 wins ahead of fellow Australian Hugh Bowman, who was runner-up on 72 wins.

Atzeni enjoyed a bumper season with 58 wins and prize-money won by his mounts totalling £9.5m. He was in constant demand, making good use of his ability to ride at the minimum weight of 8st 3lb.

Andrea Atzeni continues to build his career in Hong Kong Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

“I’ve had a successful season and I’m grateful to those trainers and owners who put me on,” he said. “It’s very different in Hong Kong: there are no agents so you have to chase your own rides and that entails studying the form closely.

“It’s also important to ride plenty of trackwork for a variety of trainers and to be available for barrier trials . . . and there are many barrier trials.”

Atzeni added that jockeys need to be thick-skinned when it comes to criticism. He takes the professional attitude in accepting there are other views out there and moving on quickly.

“I’m looking forward to having a month’s holiday in Sardinia, visiting family and friends. I’ll then head to Newmarket for a short time to ride out and get myself a bit fitter and then it’s back for the start of the season in Hong Kong.”

Atzeni has the qualities that one day could see him become champion. He is a very accomplished rider who has adapted well. He understands how Hong Kong racing works and he can ride at all weights, which is an advantage.

Purton will not be riding forever and Atzeni has experience and relative youth on his side. 

Harry Bentley also did well, registering 31 winners, who collected £5.6m for their owners. He finished tenth in the standings.

David Eustace has made an impressive start to his career in Hong Kong, sending out 36 winners, which placed him 13th on the trainers’ list. His winners and placings amassed prize-money of £4.91m.

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