Baby barred by Jockey Club

ON August 18, I entered the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club outlet in Sai Kung, just as I have been doing for the past few years. With me was my seven-month-old son in a small pushchair. As I entered, the security guard tried to insist that I left my son or the pushchair outside (he didn't seem to care which). As I had been taking my son with me for the past seven months, I continued on and purchased my Mark Six tickets.

He and the female supervisor told me it was against the law to bring an underaged person onto the premises in case they gambled. On returning home I called 1817 to inquire about the policy regarding babies. I spoke to both Alice Tse and Angie Wong who stated again ''that it is against the law for persons under 18'' and also that ''if I was prepared to carry my baby and leave the pushchair outside - then that would be okay''.

My questions about this are- If I obeyed the security guard, and left my son outside - and my son was taken by a stranger - what would happen? If I left the pushchair outside and I found it stolen on my return, would the Jockey Club reimburse me? If that is law about a baby not being allowed on the premises, is the Jockey Club aware that it is breaking the law? I have been taking my son with me now for seven months without this hassle - so why now? To the Jockey Club - what is the difference between a baby in a pushchair and a baby in arms? On August 18, both doors to the premises were open and there were no more than eight members of the public inside at any one time. So I can't see a small pushchair being a hazard.

Could the powers that be in the Jockey Club please elaborate? BILL LAKE Sai Kung