Happy Valley Racecourse

Happy Valley Racecourse is a horse racing track in Wan Chai District on Hong Kong Island, run by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. It hosts night races, usually on Wednesdays from September to July, ringed by residential towers. It suits adult visitors who want a lively evening out at a low entry price; under-18s are not admitted.

A swamp turned racecourse in 1845

Happy Valley is one of the few large flat areas on Hong Kong Island. The valley floor was swamp when the British laid out a racecourse on it in 1845, and the first race was run in December 1846. In the early decades racing was an amateur pastime for the colonial community and military officers.

The worst day in the course's history came on 26 February 1918, when a temporary grandstand collapsed during a race meeting and fire broke out among the matsheds. At least 590 people died. The stands have been rebuilt and extended many times since, with major work in 1995.

The Jockey Club, betting and charity

The Hong Kong Jockey Club runs both of the city's racecourses and operates the only legal betting on horse racing in Hong Kong. Its surplus goes to charitable causes and community projects. Happy Valley is the smaller, older venue; Sha Tin in the New Territories hosts most of the big weekend meetings.

Short, tight races and Wednesday night meetings

The turf track is tight, with sharp bends, so races are short and close, and you are near the horses as they pass. The seven-storey stands hold about 55,000 people. A meeting has about eight races, with the first usually off around 6:30 to 6:40 pm. Happy Wednesday, the club's themed night, adds a beer garden, live music and food stalls in the public area, and many visitors come for the atmosphere more than the betting.

Inside the oval, the infield holds 11 football pitches and fields for hockey and rugby, managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and used by the public on non-racing days.

Four galleries in the Happy Valley Stand

The Hong Kong Racing Museum, on the second floor of the Happy Valley Stand, opened on 18 October 1996. It has four galleries on the history of racing in the city, a small cinema and a souvenir shop, and it is a good stop for anyone who wants the background before a race night.