Interview: Jockey Club’s CEO Lays Out Plan to Develop Horse Racing in Greater Bay Area

On a winter Wednesday in Hong Kong, men congregate in teahouses and betting shops, speaking in hushed tones with one another and dotting newspapers with ballpoint pens. As night falls, they eagerly file into Happy Valley Racecourse for mid-week horse racing, in hopes of striking it rich.

Situated in the heart of the financial hub, the racecourse in Happy Valley was Hong Kong’s first horse racing venue with a history stretching back to 1846. Operated by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), the venue hosts several international races each year, attracting tens of thousands of spectators and many more punters during the race season.