Jockey Club suspends highly anticipated mainland race, citing new risk assessment from Chinese authorities
The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) has suspended a highly anticipated horse racing event due to be held in mainland China, citing a new risk assessment from mainland authorities. Following its annual general meeting, the HKJC said in a statement on Wednesday that the scheduled race meeting would be postponed to an unspecified date. In […]
The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) has suspended a highly anticipated horse racing event in mainland China, citing a new risk assessment from authorities, according to a statement released on Wednesday following the club's annual general meeting. The Conghua Racecourse, scheduled to host the event, will now be postponed to an unspecified date.
The club had initially announced the race meeting for October 31, expecting five to six races to be held, with only officials and invited guests in attendance. The inaugural meeting was intended to mark the launch of world-class racing in mainland China. However, due to concerns raised by mainland authorities, HKJC CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges informed the organization that the two parties have agreed to continue collaborating on appropriate mitigation measures.
The Conghua Racecourse was first opened in 2018, with the first exhibition race day held in March 2019, attended by Hong Kong horses and jockeys competing for the first time in the mainland. VIPs present included Hong Kong's then-chief executive Carrie Lam, Zhang Xiaoming, the director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, and Ma Xingrui, the then-governor of Guangdong.
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