LONGINES Hong Kong International Races
Sha Tin’s second-Sunday-in-December card still organizes Hong Kong’s social winter: four Group 1s, a members and public split, and a dress code that matters more than the tote.
2026 dates
- Venue
- Sha Tin Racecourse
- Where to plan around
- 6001 Tai Po Road, Sha Tin, New Territories, on the East Rail line
- Access
- Racegoers must be 18 or older. Public Enclosure admission is HK$10 by Octopus; slippers, flip-flops and plastic footwear are barred. Visitors with a valid travel document can buy a Tourist Badge for the Members’ Enclosure on major racedays (HKIR is listed in that category; recent major-raceday visitor pricing was HK$400). Members’ Enclosure dress bars singlets, sports shorts and plastic footwear. No admission to the Members’ Enclosure without a badge.
- Official information
- Visit Hong Kong Jockey Club ↗
The Banquet note
The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s 2026/27 fixture names Sunday 13 December at Sha Tin as LONGINES HKIR. The four Group 1s that define the day are the Hong Kong Cup (2000m), Mile (1600m), Sprint (1200m) and Vase (2400m). Recent editions published a record HK$130 million across those four races; wait for the 2026 figures on the HKIR hub. The meeting dates to 1988 and is the Club’s year-end international. Happy Valley on Wednesday 9 December sits in the usual International Jockeys’ Championship window; confirm that billing before you book a midweek night card. Last year’s HKIR opened the gates in late morning with a parade-ring performance before the first race; gate times for 2026 will follow on the hub.
Take the East Rail to Racecourse station, which runs on racedays and drops you at the course. Fo Tan Exit C is the wet-weather walk, about fifteen minutes, if the special stop is packed. Public Enclosure is the honest tourist ticket if you do not have a member. A Tourist Badge is the legal way onto the members’ side if you hold a passport used to enter Hong Kong. Dress to the enclosure you can actually enter; the stewards’ boxes are another world and you will not wander into them. Pak Sing, in the public grandstand, is the Cantonese room with the long windows if you want lunch without a member’s introduction. Recheck entertainment.hkjc.com and the HKIR hub in November for 2026 gate times and any special crowd measures.
Plan it well
Sleep in Central, Tsim Sha Tsui or Sha Tin, not on the Island if you hate the East Rail crush home. Book the Tourist Badge plan before you pack the jacket. Keep Wednesday at Happy Valley only if you enjoy night racing; Sunday at Sha Tin is the appointment.