HONG KONG – Earlzy on the Hong Kong International Races card on Dec. 9 at Sha Tin Racecourse, a first-time Hong Kong starter named Regency Legend stormed to a four-length victory in a Class 3 handicap. A win margin so wide is rare in Hong Kong racing – but not as rare as the path Regency Legend took to Sha Tin. Regency Legend did most of his preparatory work for his Hong Kong unveiling not in Hong Kong itself, but in China. He’s one of a growing number of horses stabled at the Conghua Racecourse, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s lavish facility on the Chinese mainland. The name deceives. Conghua actually is pronounced “chong-fa,” and the racecourse is only a training center – for now. There’s no legal gambling in the People’s Republic of China, save for lotteries the government defines as something other than gambling, and sanctioned betting in the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau. But now is not forever. Gambling holds cultural currency in the region, and China is home to more than 1.4 billion inhabitants. If betting becomes legal, any established player with a toehold figures to have a leg up in the rush to capitalize. Of course, no one in Hong Kong racing is saying anything regarding a topic so sensitive with the mainland government. For now, Conghua serves other purposes. With 660 in-use stalls (that number could be doubled over time) plus full training facilities, Conghua is relieving pressure on crowded Sha Tin, which houses a little more than 1,200 horses in stables that are about 40 years old. There are no stables at Happy Valley, Hong Kong’s other racing venue. Hong Kong ranks among the world’s most densely populated places, and there is literally no place to expand the HKJC training facilities either on the current Sha Tin site or, evidently, on any other parcel in the immediate region. The HKJC has plans to renovate the Sha Tin’s stabling facilities and needs somewhere to put the horses displaced by the project. Conghua can serve that purpose while already providing an everyday home to about 150 horses. Among the nine horsemen with stables in China is John Size, annually among the leading trainers in Hong Kong. On the Happy Valley card of Dec. 5, the week of the HKIR, Size ran five horses that had shipped from Conghua and collected two wins and two places. “There were some logistical issues in September, but those have been taken care of,” Size said. Conghua officially opened its doors to Hong Kong horses last June, but the project – the most expensive the HKJC has undertaken since Sha Tin itself – has been years in the making. Located about 125 miles north of Sha Tin, Conghua sits on land used during the 2010 World Equestrian Games, which the HKJC helped support. Plans for Conghua Racecourse formed in 2011 and ground was broken on the construction project the next year. The facility is nestled in high hills northeast of the megalopolis of Guangzhou and is far removed from the industrial zones that fill the land south to Hong Kong. The region is known for lychee farms and hot springs, and the air is clean and crisp. The racecourse has a turf track supporting races between 1,200 meters and 2,400 meters, two dirt tracks inside it, and a straight uphill turf training track. There are 11 stable blocks with trotting rings, an equine swimming area, and a well-appointed equine hospital all in the same complex. Down the hill from the training and stabling are 25 paddocks for turn-out, facilities unavailable in Hong Kong. The staff lives on-site and has been recruited for several years from the local populace, which is entirely unfamiliar with racing. The site sits behind three gates, an array the staff calls “Jurassic Park” for its level of security. The entire property is bounded by high fences with triple sets of razor wire meant to keep local fauna from coming anywhere near the Thoroughbreds. Visiting humans go through a thorough disinfecting process and must wear partial hazmat suits when entering any area frequented by horses. This is all part of the strict bio-security zone between Conghua and Hong Kong that the HKJC has spent years establishing. There are no other horses within five kilometers of Conghua, and the Thoroughbreds are ferried down a highway to Hong Kong on specially designed and disinfected trailers. The entire corridor is part of the bio-security zone meant to permit safe and efficient transport between the two jurisdictions. Also on the property are a small grandstand with all the requirements for hosting a race meeting such as jockeys quarters, a small trauma room for injured riders, a stewards room, and so on. There are no plans for an actual race meeting, but the HKJC will host six exhibition races – no betting permitted through formal channels – on March 23. By next winter, the Conghua horse population is expected to roughly double and even now the facility has taken hold among the Hong Kong training population quicker than HKJC officials ever expected. Size’s presence alone lends a major piece of legitimacy, as do horses such as Regency Legend performing so well with a Conghua foundation. “It’s very quiet and the air is clean, so horses who have been there can come back with a different mentality and ready to give their best performance,” said Regency Legend’s trainer, Danny Shum. “It’s going to continue to be a big thing for me in the future.” A big thing for Shum, and if things fall into place over time, a very big thing for the Hong Kong Jockey Club.