'China Jockey Club' apparently launched in Beijing last month exposed as hoax
China Jockey Club does not appear in official registration documents and several organisations that were reported to have been partners denied any involvement
The mainland “China Jockey Club” – which was reportedly backed by a member of the British royal family – has been revealed as a hoax.
Communist Party mouthpiece the People’s Daily had reported on its overseas edition that the so-called China Jockey Club had been officially launched in Beijing last month and preparations for a horse racing lottery were underway. Money raised from the lottery was earmarked for government coffers, charities and the horse racing industry, the report said.
The British press reported that Peter Phillips, Queen Elizabeth’s eldest grandson, had been hired by mainland authorities to help launch a horse racing industry and had flown to Beijing for the unveiling of the China Jockey Club, which was to have been the centrepiece of the nascent industry.
The news quickly spread through the stock market and prices of several racing-related stocks rose in anticipation that the ban on racing and gambling would finally be lifted.
However, China Jockey Club could not be found in official registration documents and several organisations that were mentioned in the report as partners denied any connection.
The organisation also could not be found in the online national database for social organisations.