Guangzhou and HKJC ink deal to revive mainland race events
The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) and Guangzhou’s municipal culture and tourism authority have formalised a partnership to develop horse-themed sports and tourism across the Greater Bay Area, signing a memorandum of understanding that links their respective racecourses under a single regional concept.
The agreement, concluded with the Guangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau, centres on what both parties are calling the “Two Cities, Three Racecourses” framework, connecting HKJC’s Happy Valley and Sha Tin venues with the Conghua Racecourse north of Guangzhou. The MOU commits the two sides to coordinating tourism itineraries, cultural programming, and sporting events across all three sites.
The signing took place in the presence of Leung Chun-ying, Vice-Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, alongside Guangzhou Mayor Sun Zhiyang and senior HKJC executives Raymond Tam and Ronald Chan.
Design of the agreement
Mainland China prohibits public betting, and neither the MOU nor any accompanying statement contains provisions relating to wagering, licensing, or revenue sharing. The cooperation is instead directed at travel products, event logistics, and cross-border cultural promotion, aligning with the broader National Equine Industry Development Plan that Beijing has promoted to develop equestrian sport as a distinct sector from gaming.
For HKJC, the agreement extends its existing regional footprint without entering territory that would require regulatory clearance on the mainland. The club’s statements following the signing pointed to tourism, policy support, and the development of cross-border travel products as the primary outputs.
Conghua’s role and the 2026 target
The practical focus of the MOU falls heavily on Conghua Racecourse, which Guangzhou authorities have positioned as the centrepiece of a planned world-class, horse-themed destination. Racing at Conghua had been absent for 27 years before the current development push; the authorities intend to resume competitive events there, with an October 2026 programme identified as the initial target.
Operationally, realising that timeline will require resolving the logistics of cross-border horse transport, quarantine protocols, and veterinary approvals, all areas the MOU is expected to inform, though detailed implementation mechanisms were not disclosed at signing.
The Conghua facility already functions as an international-standard training base. Its transition to a venue hosting competitive racing under this framework represents the most concrete operational step in the agreement.
Building on five years of groundwork
The MOU formalises a relationship that has been developing since 2021, when HKJC and Guangzhou authorities signed an earlier framework agreement covering similar ground. That arrangement established the general direction; Monday’s MOU moves toward execution, with named events, tourism products, and cross-border coordination now part of the stated agenda.
For the racing and event management sector, the practical implications involve supplier and logistics networks connected to large-scale equestrian events, horse transport specialists, veterinary services, and hospitality operators building multi-stop GBA itineraries.
Where matters stand
The MOU is signed and in effect. Planning for the October 2026 Conghua events is under way, though no schedule has been published. Cross-border coordination between HKJC and Guangzhou’s bureau will determine the pace at which joint tourism products reach the market.
For iGaming and betting operators, the direct impact is limited. HKJC’s wagering operations remain within Hong Kong’s existing regulatory structure, and the mainland cooperation is structurally insulated from those activities.
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