The birthplace of horse racing in Asia

"Macao Races" é o título de uma notícia publicada na primeira página do jornal The China Mail (de Hong Kong) na edição de 12 de Novembro de 1932. Na época o hipódromo fica junto à Porta do Cerco tendo sido inaugurado em 1927. As corridas de cavalos eram um dos maiores cartazes turísticos do território atraindo multidões da vizinha colónia britânica. Foi no território que nasceram as corridas de cavalos ao modo ocidental e as raízes remontam ao século XVII. Em 1637, Peter Mundy, refere no seu diário uma corrida junto à Igreja de S. Domingos. Na toponímia local existem referências a esses tempos com nomes como a Avenida do Hipódromo ou a Rampa dos Cavaleiros.

Although Macau International Racing Sport Association was founded only in 1927 the history of horse races is much older. In 1637, Peter Mundy, who was the expedition’s commercial officer, went to the races in Macao and he wrote that experience on his diary.
The races were held in a large open square, artificially leveled, in front of the church of Sao Domingos in the heart of the attractive little Portuguese city. In 1713 when East India Company arrived in Macau, horse racing was already a popular sport with a proper six furlong track known as the Hipódromo, portuguese word meaning “horse race track”. That's the reason Macau held the first foreign european style racecourse in China.