Sha Tin Racecourse
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Location | Sha Tin District, ![]() |
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Owned by | Hong Kong Jockey Club |
Date opened | 7 October 1978 |
Capacity | 85,000 |
Course type | Thoroughbred |
Notable races | Group One races: Hong Kong Derby Queen Elizabeth II Cup Champions Mile Hong Kong International Races Hong Kong Triple Crown |
Official website |
Sha Tin Racecourse | |||||||||||||||||||
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Southeast Panorama over the Sha Tin horse race course in October 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | 沙田馬場 | ||||||||||||||||||
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![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Sha_Tin_Racecourse_Concourse_201406.jpg/220px-Sha_Tin_Racecourse_Concourse_201406.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Sha_Tin_Racecourse_Covered_Parade_Ring_2014.jpg/220px-Sha_Tin_Racecourse_Covered_Parade_Ring_2014.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/39/Sha_Tin_Racecourse_Level_1_Public_Betting_Hall_2014.jpg/220px-Sha_Tin_Racecourse_Level_1_Public_Betting_Hall_2014.jpg)
Sha Tin Racecourse is one of the two racecourses for horse racing in Hong Kong. It is located in Sha Tin in the New Territories. It is managed by Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Penfold Park is encircled by the track, and the Hong Kong Sports Institute is located immediately south of the property.
Michael Jackson planned to perform at the racecourse on his Dangerous World Tour, which was the start of the third leg, but was cancelled due to the conflict of the racing season.
History[]
It was built in 1978 (under the administration of Sir David Akers-Jones, the then-Secretary for the New Territories) on reclaimed land and is the larger of the two tracks in Hong Kong.
The course has 474 races per season including:
- Hong Kong Cup
- Hong Kong Mile
- Hong Kong Sprint
- Hong Kong Vase
- Centenary Sprint Cup
- Hong Kong Stewards' Cup
- Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup
- Hong Kong Gold Cup
- Hong Kong Derby
- Queen Elizabeth II Cup
- Champions Mile
- Chairman's Sprint Prize
- Hong Kong Champions & Chater Cup
On 9 September 2007, Sha Tin race track opened for the season with an opening day record of about 60,000. Chief Secretary Henry Tang struck the ceremonial gong. The Hong Kong Jockey Club collected US$106 million in bets (highest since 2001). Children of horse owners were admitted amid protest of local anti-gambling groups. Sunny Power, booted by Howard Cheng got the trophy in the 1,200 metre dash.[1]
Features[]
Originally built with capacity for 35,000 and one grandstand, it now has capacity for 85,000 and two grandstands. It also has 20 stables for a capacity of 1,260 horses.
Other features include:
- Equine Hospital
- Racing Laboratory
- Equine Swimming Pool
- Riverside Gallop
Track Specifications:
- Turf
- Straight: 430 metres (470 yd)
- Circumference: 1.899 kilometres (1.180 mi)
- All Weather Track(Dirt)
- Straight: 380 metres (420 yd)
- Circumference: 1.560 kilometres (0.969 mi)
Major races[]
- Hong Kong International Races (December)
- Hong Kong Cup - 2000m
- Hong Kong Mile - 1600m
- Hong Kong Sprint - 1200m
- Hong Kong Vase - 2400m
- Hong Kong Triple Crown
- Hong Kong Stewards' Cup - 1600m (January)
- Hong Kong Gold Cup - 2000m (February)
- Hong Kong Champions & Chater Cup - 2400m (May)
- Centenary Sprint Cup - 1200m (January)
- Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup - 1400m (February)
- Queen Elizabeth II Cup - 2000m (April)
- Champions Mile - 1600m (April)
- Chairman's Sprint Prize - 1200m (April)
- Premier Bowl - 1200m (October)
- Sha Tin Trophy - 1600m (October)
- Jockey Club Day (November)
- Jockey Club Cup - 2000m
- Jockey Club Mile - 1600m
- Jockey Club Sprint - 1200m
- Chairman's Trophy - 1600m (April)
- Sprint Cup - 1200m (April)
- Group Three
- Celebration Cup - 1400m (October)
- National Day Cup - 1000m (October)
- Ladies' Purse - 1800m (November)
- Chinese Club Challenge Cup - 1400m (January)
- Bauhinia Sprint Trophy - 1000m (January)
- Centenary Vase - 1600m (February)
- Queen Mother Memorial Cup - 2400m (May)
- Sha Tin Vase - 1200m (May)
- Lion Rock Trophy - 1600m (May)
- Premier Cup - 1400m (June)
- Premier Plate - 1800m (June)
- Listed Race
- Four-year-old Series (4YO Classic Series)
- Hong Kong Classic Mile - 1600m (January)
- Hong Kong Classic Cup - 1800m (February)
- Hong Kong Derby - 2000m (March; since 1979)
Transport[]
The racecourse is served by Racecourse station of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR). The station is only used on racing days. There are also several bus routes. One of the racecourse bus routes, KMB 872, had a deadly bus crash.
References[]
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sha Tin Racecourse. |
- Hong Kong Jockey Club official website
- Shatin Racecourse
Geographic data related to Sha Tin Racecourse at OpenStreetMap
Coordinates: 22°23′58″N 114°12′24″E / 22.39944°N 114.20667°E
- 1978 establishments in Hong Kong
- Event venues established in 1978
- Extra areas operated by NT taxis
- Horse racing venues in Hong Kong
- Landmarks in Hong Kong
- Sha Tin District
- Tourist attractions in Hong Kong