In perfect weather local hero Akeed Mofeed won the feature event, the Group 3 Centenary Vase.
A staggering HK$1.512 billion was bet on the day.
"We have enjoyed a tremendous festival atmosphere today for what has been an excellent start to the Year of the Horse," said HKJC CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges.
Luck and good fortune are important themes of any Chinese New Year celebration so it was fitting that horses named Circuit Fortune and Lucky Choice should be successful in the day.
During the meeting the Longines Hong Kong Masters horses were on display at the racecourse and many people stopped to admire them and get their picture taken with them. The 98,000 spectators got a sneak preview of the Longines Hong Kong Masters as the event trailer was shown on the giant screen of Sha Tin racecourse.
Today's CNY race meeting at Sha Tin paves the way for the next major horse event in Hong Kong starting on February 21 - the 2014 Longines Hong Kong Masters at AsiaWorld Expo.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club will sponsor the Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy at the Longines Hong Kong Masters on Saturday night Februray 22. This feature event will be worth US$100,000 in prize money. It is the first time the HKJC has sponsored such an equestrian event since the Beijing Olympics.