The 2015/2016 Hong Kong racing season will commence with the first of 83 meetings on Sunday, 6 September 2015, at Sha Tin Racecourse. The flagship event of the new term remains the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races, which will be staged at Sha Tin on Sunday, 13 December, four days after the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship at Happy Valley on Wednesday, 9 December.
A “Super Saturday” meeting is coming to Hong Kong featuring the premier lead-up races to the LONGINES HKIR, with the G2 Jockey Club Races sponsored by LONGINES and BOCHK Wealth Management, held at Sha Tin on Saturday, 21 November 2015.
Significant dates on the calendar include the HKG1 BMW Hong Kong Derby on Sunday, 20 March 2016, while the G1 Audemars Piguet QEII Cup and the G1 Champions Mile have been programmed for Sunday, 24 April and Sunday, 1 May, respectively.
In a notable change at the elite level, the Club has altered the race distance for the HKG1 Centenary Sprint Cup and has shuffled the order of the three-leg Hong Kong Speed Series.
The Centenary Sprint Cup, previously staged down Sha Tin’s straight 1000m, will become a one-turn 1200m contest this season and is scheduled for Sunday, 31 January 2016, the same day as the G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m). The series will continue with the G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) on Sunday, 28 February and the HKG1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m), previously the second leg, will now round off the Speed Series on Sunday, 24 April 2016.
A new contest affording classy milers a late season opportunity that has hitherto been absent from the programme was also announced. The Club has incorporated the HKG3 Lion Rock Trophy, a local Pattern race handicap over 1600m for horses rated 95 and higher. The new race will take place at Sha Tin on Sunday, 29 May 2016, four weeks after the G1 Champions Mile.
The inauguration of the Lion Rock Trophy brings to 35 the number of Pattern races staged in Hong Kong.
The late-season programme is further bolstered thanks to the relocation of the HKG3 Premier Plate from its previous late March slot. The 1800m contest will be staged on Sunday, 19 June 2016, the same day as the HKG3 Prince Jewellery & Watch Premier Cup (1400m).
Hong Kong’s new season will feature 48 day meetings and 35 night meetings. Happy Valley will stage two day meetings on 1 November 2015 and 9 June 2016 (Dragon Boat Festival) while Sha Tin will host two night meetings on 18 November and 6 April. The season will conclude at Sha Tin on Sunday, 10 July 2016.
RACING FIXTURES - 2015/2016 SEASON
List of Group Races in 2015/2016
