Horse owners urge MJC to apologize to all Macau residents

In an open letter, several horse owners are calling on the Macau Jockey Club’s (MJC) board of directors to issue reasonable compensation to horse owners and extend an apology to all Macau residents.

The letter was addressed to the Chief Executive and other senior officials as well as the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ).

It criticizes the abrupt termination of horse racing activities following secret negotiations between the government and the MJC, which had not “taken into account the feelings of residents and the interests of all horse owners.”

The letter writers consider the decision to be erroneous and suggested that the MJC had deceived them by persuading them to import new horses in April and July last year.

The owners explained that these horses were not fit for races at the time of import due to their ages and the need for prior training, resulting in wasted money and resources in importing and keeping the horses.

The owners also criticized the MJC for not keeping them sufficiently informed as the matter developed.

The group of horse owners expressed that they had made the decision to continue importing horses to Macau due to their “100% confidence” in the government, given the government had extended the MJC’s license for 24 years in 2018. Furthermore, the Club had agreed to enhance its facilities and the economic chief had subsequently promised to duly handle the MJC’s operations according to long-observed procedures.

They also questioned why the promise of former Chinese official Lu Ping regarding the continued existence of horse racing in Macau after 1999 was not fulfilled. Without horse racing, they fear that Macau will not be able to co-host the equestrian races in the 2025 National Games.

Macau’s image will also be jeopardized among the Asian Racing Federation, because the MJC was terminated in the middle of a season, in contrast to Singapore’s approach of allowing its operator to complete the entire season.