Hong Kong Cup
The Hong Kong Cup is a Group 1 race for 3yo & upward thoroughbreds held annually each December at Sha Tin racecourse in Hong Kong. The race has prize money of HK$22,000,000 and is run over a distance of 2000 metres. It is one of the four major races to take place on Hong Kong International Race Day.
Locally trained galloper Glorious Forever, ridden by Silvestre de Sousa from the Frankie Lor stable, led all the way to score a comfortable 2018 Hong Kong Mile victory at Sha Tin.
Glorious Forever defeated race favourite Deidre, ridden by Christophe Lemaire and trained by Mitsuru Hashida, by one length in a time of 2:01.71 for the 2000 metre trip.
The winner's full brother and reigning Hong Kong Cup champion Time Warp, piloted by Zac Purton and trained by Tony Cruz, finished 0.25L away in third place.
Racing in Hong Kong is governed by the Hong Kong Jockey Club and racing is held at both Sha Tin and Happy Valley race tracks. The Hong Kong Cup is run at the Sha Tin Racecourse which was first erected in 1978. For more information about Sha Tin and the HKJC please take the time to visit our Sha Tin Racecourse page.
Hong Kong Cup info
| Date: | Sunday 8th December 2019 |
| Track: | Sha Tin Racecourse, Hong Kong |
| Distance: | 2000 metres |
| Race Type: | 3yo & Up |
| Status: | Group 1 |
| Surface: | Turf |
| Prize Money: | HK$22,000,000 (app $2.58M AUS) |
| 2018 Winner: | Glorious Forever |
 Hong Kong Cup odds |
|
The Hong Kong Cup was first run in 1988 as the 'Hong Kong Invitation Cup' over 1800m and was initially only open to gallopers from Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore. In 1989, Australia and New Zealand horses were invited to enter, while European horses were allowed entry from 1990. Horses from the US, Canada and Japan participated from 1991 onwards and the race also included horses trained in the United Arab Emirates and South Africa.
The race was afforded Group One status in 1999, along with a distance increase to 2000m, and the race became the Hong Kong Cup.
With UK$20,000,000 (AU$2.58M) in prize money, the Hong Kong Cup is the final leg of the World Series Racing Championship which comprises of 12 races run between March and December in nine countries over four continents. The Australian leg of the series is the Gr1 WS Cox Plate held at Moonee Valley in October.
Maurice (2016) took out the Gr1 Tenno Sho over 2000m at Tokyo in Japan before scoring a brilliant victory in this event and recent Hong Kong Cup winners include A Shin Hikari (2015) and Designs On Rome (2014).
Other Group 1 feature races on the day include the Hong Kong Sprint (1200m), Hong Kong Mile (1600m) and Hong Kong Vase (2400m).
2018 Hong Kong Cup result
1. $7.80 Glorious Forever 57.0 S de Sousa
2. $2.80 Deirdre 55.5 C Lemaire
3. $5.10 Time Warp 57.0 Z Purton
then followed
4. $2.90 Sungrazer 57.0 J Moreira
5. $18.00 Northern Superstar 57.0 K Teetan
6. $22.00 Gold Mount 57.0 O Murphy
7. $19.00 Seasons Bloom 57.0 R Moore
8. $59.00 Stormy Antarctic 57.0 J Doyle
9. $31.00 Staphanos 57.0 W Buick
Margins: 1 len, 0.25 len
Time: 2:01.71
Hong Kong International Race Day
Hong Kong International Race day is the major race day of Hong Kong horse racing and has grown into one of the biggest days of racing in Asia and around the world. International Race Day takes place annually in December and offers total prize money in excess of HK$64,000,000, which is approximately $8.2M Australian.
International Race Day feature Group 1 races:
- Hong Kong Cup - 2000m
- Hong Kong Sprint - 1200m
- Hong Kong Mile - 1600m
- Hong Kong Vase - 2400m
Australian and New Zealand gallopers were successful in the early runnings of the Hong Kong Cup with Grey Invader (1989), Kessem (1990), Romanee Conti (1992) and State Taj (1994) all winning.
Australian horses have had little success winning the Hong Kong Cup in recent times, mainly due to the prize money increase over the years and the quality status of the race attracting the best gallopers from around the world to contest this event.
Australian gallopers have placed in two of the past three Hong Kong Cups, with Criterion running third in the 2014 Hong Kong Cup and Alcopop finishing third in the 2012 Hong Kong Cup.
Bet now on the Hong Kong Cup
We recommended Unibet for the best Hong Kong Cup odds.
Terms & conditions apply - Always gamble responsibly.
Hong Kong Cup recent winners
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Time |
| 2018 | Glorious Forever | Silvestre de Sousa | Frankie Lor | 2:01.7 |
| 2017 | Time Warp | Zac Purton | Tony Cruz | 2.01.6 |
| 2016 | Maurice | Ryan Moore | Noriyuki Hori | 2.00.9 |
| 2015 | A Shin Hikari | Nuovo Record | Blazing Speed | 2.00.6 |
| 2014 | Designs On Rome | Joao Moreira | John Moore | 2:01.9 |
| 2013 | Akeed Mofeed | Douglas Whyte | Richard Gibson | 2.01.9 |
| 2012 | California Memory | Matthew Chadwick | Tony Cruz | 2:03.0 |
| 2011 | California Memory | Matthew Chadwick | Anthony Cruz | 2:04.5 |
| 2010 | Snow Fairy | Ryan Moore | Ed Dunlop | 2.02.9 |
| 2009 | Vision d'Etat | O Peslier | E Libaud | 2.01.8 |
| 2008 | Eagle Mountain | Kevin Shea | Mike de Kock | 2:00.9 |
| 2007 | Ramonti | Frankie Dettori | Saeed bin Suroor | 2:02.8 |
| 2006 | Pride | Christophe Lemaire | Alain de Royer-Dupre | 2:01.6 |
| 2005 | Vengeance of Rain | Anthony Delpech | David E. Ferraris | 2:04.5 |
| 2004 | Alexander Goldrun | Kevin Manning | Jim Bolger | 2:03.3 |
| 2003 | Falbrav | Frankie Dettori | Luca Cumani | 2:00.9 |
| 2002 | Precision | Michael Kinane | David Oughton | 2:07.1 |
| 2001 | Agnes Digital | Hirofumi Shii | Toshiaki Shirai | 2:02.8 |
| 2000 | Fantastic Light | Frankie Dettori | Saeed bin Suroor | 2:02.2 |
| 1999 | Jim and Tonic | Gerald Mosse | Francois Doumen | 2:01.4 |
| 1998 | Midnight Bet | Hiroshi Kawachi | Hiroyuki Nagahama | 1:46.9 |
| 1997 | Val's Prince | Cash Asmussen | James E. Picou | 1:47.2 |
| 1996 | First Island | Michael Hills | Geoff Wragg | 1:48.2 |
| 1995 | Fujiyama Kenzan | Masayoshi Ebina | Hideyuki Mori | 1:47.0 |
| 1994 | State Taj | Damien Oliver | James L. Riley | 1:48.4 |
| 1993 | Motivation | John Marshall | John Moore | 1:49.2 |
| 1992 | Romanee Conti * | Greg Childs | Laurie Laxon | 1:48.2 |
| 1991 | River Verdon | Gerald Mosse | David Hill | 1:49.8 |
| 1990 | Kessem | Kevin Moses | Brian Smith | 1:48.4 |
| 1989 | Colonial Chief | Tony Cruz | Ivan W. Allan | 1:49.3 |
| 1988 | Flying Dancer | Bartie Leisher | Brian Kan Ping-chee | 1:48.6 |
* The 1992 Hong Kong Cup was postponed in December of that year due to an equine virus outbreak and the race was held in April of 1993.
Watch 2020 Hong Kong Cup Replay
Recommended Bookmakers
* Conditions apply to all bookmaker offers
Online Betting Guide
Learn how to choose an online bookmaker, open an account, deposit funds, place a bet and collect your winnings.
Find out how bookmaker percentages allow bookies to frame a betting market to gain an edge over punters.
Learn how to price a horse race and set your own odds by framing your own betting market.
What are the different types of racing bets? Learn about the most common horse racing bet types available in Australia.
What is a form guide? Find out how to read and understand a horse racing form guide.
Looking for racing terminology, lingo or slang? Our horse racing glossary explains common terms and sayings.
What is the shortest distance a horse can win by? Horse racing winning margins and distances explained.
Where to Bet
Unibet Bookmaker
Unibet offers a top racing product with excellent fixed priced odds and unique member promotions. Punters can enjoy more than competitive odds for racing, while racehorse owners can are well catered for too.
Betting with bookmakers is subject to terms and conditions.