Hong Kong Jockey Club launches the 2025/26 new season at Sha Tin Racecourse, introducing two major new digital facilities aimed at enhancing the visitor experience, especially to attract the younger generation and overseas visitors.
The first highlight is the new arrival center "Champions Connection". Located at the MTR Racecourse Station, this facility creates an immersive transitional space for spectators. It features animated thoroughbred horses, interactive jockey lockers, and life-sized mechanical horses for photo opportunities. Additionally, there are pop-up food stalls, merchandise booths, and social enterprise workshops, combining horse racing culture with local lifestyle to spark visitors' interest from the moment they arrive.
Following the arrival area, visitors will enter the four-story digital racing and dining center "Gensō Eki". This center combines interactive exhibitions, gamified experiences, and social spaces. Key features include the "Gensōverse" virtual horse racing journey utilizing Extended Reality (XR) technology, a digital maze showcasing the history of horse racing, and two dining options—a modern food court and an Izakaya-style restaurant, catering to the entertainment and social needs of the younger crowd.
The Jockey Club states that these new facilities mark the gradual transformation of the Hong Kong racecourses into lifestyle destinations. Last season alone, the Sha Tin and Happy Valley racecourses attracted over 1.7 million spectators, with more than 195,000 from Mainland China. To support this transformation, the Club has invested over HK$14 billion (approximately US$1.79 billion), advancing the facilities in phases.
Future plans include the reopening of Penfold Park in January 2026 and the launch of a new WeChat mini-program and a Simplified Chinese website interface aimed at Mainland Chinese tourists, to enhance the convenience and interactive experience for cross-border visitors.
