Horse Racing first came to Hong Kong in 1846 when a race was held at Happy Valley, a drained piece of marshland on Hong Kong Island in what is now Causeway Bay. The first permanent stands were erected in 1931, with subsequent major developments and refurbishments in 1957, 1969 and 1995.

Today, Happy Valley Racecourse nestles like a Roman amphitheatre among the surrounding hills, skyscrapers and general hullaballo of Hong Kong, its seven-storey stands capable of housing some 55,000 punters. Happy Valley is a short walk away from Causeway Bay MTR2 Station. On race days, it is impossible not to know which way to go.