Sha Tin Racecourse
Hong Kong is a multicultural and vibrant city with various forms of entertainment. If you try to ask what Hong Kong citizens are likely to do on the weekend, it is inseparable from the answer of viewing horse racing.
Horse Racing History in Hong Kong
Since the first domestication of horses during 4500 BC, horse racing has already existed. As a colony once ruled by the British for 155 years, some western features have been inherited in Hong Kong, of which horse racing is no exception. In 1841, the British introduced horse racing to Hong Kong, and afterward, Hong Kong's first racecourse - "Happy Valley Racecourse" was officially completed in 1845, which started the glorious history of Hong Kong horse racing. The Hong Kong Jockey Club was subsequently established in 1884, which is responsible for the administrative affairs of local racing.
Arise of Sha Tin Racecourse
Before the construction of the Sha Tin Racecourse, the Happy Valley Racecourse on Hong Kong Island was the only racecourse in Hong Kong. With the popularisation of horse racing in Hong Kong, "red flags" (meaning "full house") are often hoisted during race days. In 1964, the Hong Kong Jockey Club began to consider building a new racecourse to accommodate the growth of horse racing in the region. The second racecourse in Sha Tin, therefore, was built in 1978, which has expanded the racecourses in Hong Kong into two.
Nowadays Development
Horse racing in nowadays
Sha Tin Racecourse is the best racing venue in Asia and the main venue for Hong Kong’s horse races. The racecourse hosts numerous international competitions every year, including the Queen Elizabeth II Cup and the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint, which attract top talents around the world to compete in thoroughbred horse races.
沙田馬場
香港是一個多元文化、活力四射的城市，娛樂活動豐富多彩。 如果要問香港市民周末最有可能做什麼，肯定離不開看賽馬的答案。
香港的賽馬歷史
自馬匹在公元前 4500 年被首次馴化起，賽馬運動就已經存在。作為曾經被英國統治了155年的殖民地，香港繼承了一些西方特色，賽馬也不例外。 在1841年，英國人將賽馬運動引入香港，其後，香港第一座馬場——「跑馬地馬場」於1845年正式落成，開啟了香港賽馬的輝煌歷史。香港賽馬會其後於1884年成立，負責本地賽馬的行政事務。
沙田馬場興起
在沙田馬場興建之前，港島的跑馬地馬場是香港唯一的馬場。隨著賽馬在香港的普及，賽馬日經常懸掛“紅旗”（意思是“滿座”）。 在1964年，馬會開始考慮興建新馬場以配合賽馬運動的發展，第二個馬場因此在1978年於沙田落成，全港馬場亦擴展為兩個。
現今發展
沙田馬場是亞洲頂級的馬場，也是香港賽馬的主要場地，每年舉辦多項國際賽事，包括女皇杯、浪琴香港短途錦標等。成功吸引了無數來自世界各地的頂尖人才前來角逐。