Penfold Park opens year-round with extended hours Bringing more joyful moments to people and pets alike

09/22/2015

The Hong Kong Jockey Club is pleased to announce today (22 September) that Penfold Park will now be open year-round and with extended opening hours.  Under the new arrangement the Park will open on racedays as well as on Mondays. (The Park was previously closed on Mondays for maintenance). 

Located in the infield of Sha Tin Racecourse, Penfold Park was built by The Hong Kong Jockey Club, which still manages the site.  Since 1979 the Park has been open to the public on non-racedays, and now attracts some 15,000 visitors a month to enjoy its natural environment and high-quality grassed areas.  In 2009 the Park was ranked the 4th Best Garden in Hong Kong after Hong Kong Park, Sai Kung East Country Park and Nan Lian Garden.  It is also one of the most pet-friendly venues in Hong Kong and is especially popular with animal lovers, not least because it is one of the city's major habitats for wild egrets.  In 2008, the Park was used as a training area for horses taking part in the equestrian events of the Beijing Olympics.  Today, the Hong Kong Olympic Cauldron and Olympic Mega Rings, a horse statue bearing Olympic gold medallists’ autographs, and Olympic equestrian fences are displayed in the Park as a legacy of the 2008 Olympics.

The new extended opening hours will enable many more visitors to enjoy the Park’s quiet and natural environment.  On non-racedays, the Park will be open from 9:00am to 7:30pm in the summer (May to September) or 6:30pm in the winter (October to April).  During day race meetings at Sha Tin the Park will open from 9:00am to 11:30am and during night meetings at Sha Tin from 9:00am to 5:00pm.  On barrier trial days, which are normally Tuesdays and Fridays, the Park will open at 9:30am.

To familiarise Park visitors with the new opening hours, a pocket-sized calendar card has been produced for distribution via major pet clinics, pet shops and animal welfare associations.

Penfold Park can be accessed by public transport. Free parking outside Penfold Park is available during Park opening hours.

Opening hours for both the Park and the car park may be subject to change on selected special days.  Please refer to the HKJC website for the latest information: http://charities.hkjc.com/charities/english/facilities/penfold.aspx.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class horse racing operator and Hong Kong’s largest community benefactor, as well as one of Asia’s most prestigious membership clubs. Operating as a not-for-profit organisation, the Club allocates its surplus funds for charitable and community projects. In 2014/15, its donations reached a record $3.87 billion, and in the last decade alone it supported over 1,300 projects. The Club is also Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer, contributing a record HK$20.05 billion in 2014/15. With about 70% of its revenue given back to society every year through donations and tax contributions, The Hong Kong Jockey Club delivers a significantly higher return to the community than any other racing and/or sports betting organisation in the world. As a socially responsible organisation, the Club helps Government combat illegal betting and advocates responsible gambling. The Club is also one of Hong Kong’s largest employers with over 24,000 full-time and part-time staff. Committed to global excellence and giving back to society, the Club is always “riding high together for a better future” with the people of Hong Kong.