Chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges has quashed suggestions the Jockey Club could make a special dispensation to allow some Macau horses to continue their careers in Hong Kong.

With racing in the gambling hub to cease at the end of March, there were hopes that Macau horses owned by Hongkongers could be allowed to race at Sha Tin under an exemption befitting the extraordinary circumstances.

However, Engelbrecht-Bresges confirmed any horse moving from Taipa to Sha Tin would need to be owned by someone holding a relevant Jockey Club permit.

“We will not transfer ownership, one has to have a permit,” he said. “If you look at it, there are probably only five or six horses who would be suitable under certain criteria. There are a number of outstanding permits which people could use.

“If you look at the quality of the horses, I think there are five or six. Maybe, if you look at the number of starts, there could be a certain flexibility [around which horses we allow in].”

With Hong Kong an option for only a handful of the jurisdiction’s more than 200 horses, Macau owners could face substantial costs to safely rehome their gallopers.

When announcing racing’s shutdown earlier this month, the Macau government stated that the Macau Jockey Club (MJC) had “pledged to arrange for transportation of its horses to other locations by March 31 2025”.

While yet to receive confirmation around just what this looks like, owners are hoping to gain clarity at a meeting believed to be taking place over the weekend.

Some horses have only been in the city since the final shipment in June last year, with plenty of young gallopers – some with their sights set on a Macau Derby that now won’t happen – only able to have a handful of starts.

With only 14 meetings scheduled at Taipa before the curtain comes down, there are limited opportunities for owners to recoup transport costs, which can exceed HK$100,000, let alone the purchase price of their horses.

Engelbrecht-Bresges did say he plans to work with officials in Macau to ensure the rehoming process is as smooth as possible.

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“We wrote to them and we will have an exchange about what we can do to help them, because it is definitely a great concern,” said Engelbrecht-Bresges, who is the chairman of the Asian Racing Federation and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.

“We want to give them the chance to discuss it and then we will have a meeting with them as the Asian Racing Federation about what we can do, because it is definitely a major concern.”

The MJC has not responded to questions sent by the Post regarding its rehoming plans.