Hong Kong Jockey Club Suspends First Mainland China Race Event Citing New Risk Assessment
HKFP · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) has suspended its inaugural world-class horse racing event at the Conghua Racecourse in Guangzhou, originally scheduled for October 31, following a new risk assessment from mainland Chinese authorities. The club stated it received the assessment very recently and agreed to work closely with officials to devise appropriate mitigation measures. The postponement came as a shock to HKJC members, who had anticipated the first major racing event at the club's first mainland racecourse .
Key Points
- The HKJC announced the suspension following its annual general meeting, with the scheduled October 31 race meeting postponed to an unspecified date
- The event at Conghua Racecourse was planned to feature five to six races and mark the club's first racecourse on the Chinese mainland
- According to HKJC CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the inaugural meeting was intended for officials and invited guests only, with a second meeting at the end of November serving as the public launch
- The club received the latest risk assessment from relevant mainland departments and will work together to develop appropriate mitigation measures
- The Conghua Racecourse first opened in 2018, and an exhibition race day was held in March 2019 featuring Hong Kong horses and jockeys competing on the mainland for the first time
- VIPs at the 2019 exhibition included then-chief executive Carrie Lam, then-director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office Zhang Xiaoming, and then-governor of Guangdong Ma Xingrui
- The Jockey Club, founded in 1884, holds a government-granted monopoly on betting in horseracing and football in Hong Kong
Why It Matters
The suspension represents a setback for the HKJC's expansion into the mainland Chinese market, a strategy that has been years in development since the opening of the Conghua facility. The postponement raises questions about regulatory hurdles facing Hong Kong-based organizations seeking to stage major events in mainland China, and how the risk assessment process may affect future cross-border sporting collaborations.
The suspension represents a setback for the HKJC's expansion into the mainland Chinese market, a strategy that has been years in development since the opening of the Conghua facility. The postponement raises questions about regulatory hurdles facing Hong Kong-based organizations seeking to stage major events in mainland China, and how the risk assessment process may affect future cross-border sporting collaborations.