HKJC expands Conghua racing partnership
The Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Guangzhou municipal government have signed an expanded cooperation agreement to establish the Guangzhou-Hong Kong Equine Industry In-depth Cooperation Zone by 2030, centred on Conghua Racecourse.
The agreement comes ahead of Conghua racecourse’s inaugural meeting on October 31, when the HKJC is expected to conduct five or six races, marking the next phase of the venue’s evolution from training centre to racecourse.
The partnership aims to develop a cross-border equine industry cluster across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, combining international-standard racing with tourism, breeding, horse trading and improved cross-border movement of horses, veterinary medicines and equipment.
Guangzhou authorities will prepare a development plan for the cooperation zone and accelerate infrastructure surrounding Conghua, while customs and agricultural agencies in Guangzhou and Hong Kong will work to streamline border processes and maintain the precinct’s equine disease-free status.
HKJC chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said regular racing at Conghua would strengthen the Greater Bay Area’s equine value chain and events economy, building on a framework agreement signed by the two parties in 2021.
