The Hong Kong Jockey Club announced on 24 July 2023 that from the 2023/2024 season it will extend prize money distribution to horses finishing sixth in all races1. The club said the change means every sixth-place horse in Hong Kong races receives 2 percent of the total prize money for that race1.
Previously, prize money reached the first six finishers only in the twelve Group 1 races held in Hong Kong last season and the BMW Hong Kong Derby, while in all other races, including Group 2 and Group 3 events, prize money went to the first five finishers1.
"香港賽馬會決定由2023/2024年度馬季起，將獎金分配至在所有賽事中跑入第六名的馬匹。"
The club said it reviews policy regularly and aims to improve the ownership experience, and that paying prize money to sixth-place horses is intended to give owners a return on their investment1. The announcement did not state the total prize money involved, the number of races affected, or any change to the amounts paid to the first five finishers, and those figures have not been reported1.
| Finishing position paid | Before 2023/2024 | From 2023/2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 races and the BMW Hong Kong Derby | First six | First six |
| All other races, including Group 2 and Group 3 | First five | First six |
What it means for players
The change affects how prize money is split among connections, not how bets are settled. Payouts on win, place and other pari-mutuel pools in Hong Kong are calculated from the betting pool, so a horse finishing sixth does not return anything on a win or place bet1. The club's stated reason is owner returns, and the announcement sets out no change to takeout, pool sizes or bet types1. For locals, expats and visitors betting on Hong Kong racing, the practical effect is on the racing side of the sport rather than on the money returned to punters, and no effect on betting has been reported1.
What happens next
The new distribution applies from the start of the 2023/2024 season1. No further steps on the prize money change were set out1.
For background on the sport in the territory, see How Hong Kong Gambles: Racing, Mahjong and Mark Six and Hong Kong's Major Horse Races Through the Season. For the wider regional picture, see Horse Racing and Betting in Asia: Racecourses, Pari-Mutuel Pools, Bet Types and Where You Can Bet, and for the legal position, Can I Gamble in Hong Kong?.
Sources1 sources
- 2023/2024年度馬季香港賽事獎金分配至第六名馬匹, 賽馬新聞, 香港賽馬會, racingnews.hkjc.com
