Protests prompt Happy Valley to cancel Wednesday card
The Hong Kong Jockey Club canceled its race card for Wednesday night due to concerns about the impact of protests planned near the vicinity of the racetrack that day.
In a statement, officials for the HKJC said that the card at Happy Valley Racecourse was canceled due to “potential social unrest in the vicinity tonight.” Hong Kong has been rocked by protests for several months due to concern among citizens about the influence of China’s government on the province, a special administrative region of China.
“It is our responsibility to ensure that racehorses, racegoers, jockeys and employees are safe at all times,” the statement read. “This is a very difficult and unfortunate decision to make, but public safety is of paramount importance to the Club.”
The decision was the first time that a race card has been canceled by the HKJC due to the disturbances. Last year, the HKJC opened a training center on the Chinese mainland called Chonghua, and horses that race at the club’s two Hong Kong tracks are routinely shipped from the mainland to the province. The facility has also staged “exhibition races” as part of the HKJC’s tentative efforts to expand into China.