China professional racing industry meets the global stage

Wednesday 3rd of August 2016

China’s racing industry is set to see a long-awaited boost, with the opening of The China Equine Cultural Festival (CECF) held over the weekend of August 20-21, 2016, local media reports.

Held in Shaerqin in the Hohot Economic Development Zone, the festival is said to attract the world’s biggest racing players - representing another step towards professional racing in China. The festival aims to join the ranks of the Hong Kong International or Dubai World Cup in the global racing industry.

“The CECF has become a melting pot of captains of industry from across China and from around the world, creating opportunities for networking, business interaction and cultural exchange,” said the organizers in a press release.

The CECF had previously been held in Shanghai, Singapore, Wuhan and Hohot under the guidance of the China Horse Club.

“The CECF prides itself on breaking new ground in the Chinese market. It became the first thoroughbred race meeting in China endorsed by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities," China Horse Club founder Teo Ah King said.

The race day crowd is expected to reach 10,000 with a prize pool of RMB 2.5 million (about A$320,000).

In 2015, the races streamed to over 600,000 unique users.

Racing Festival