Outdated legislation will mean racing fans might be driven into the waiting arms of illegal bookmakers or internet betting sites when Sacred Kingdom travels to England for next month's Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Trainer Ricky Yiu Poon-fie and owner Sin Kang-yuk have decided Sacred Kingdom will defend his title as the world's number one sprinter at the Queen's race meeting on June 21, throwing the spotlight on the government's micro management of betting. The Hong Kong Jockey Club cannot legally bet on the Golden Jubilee because its annual allocation of 10 simulcast race meetings will have been used up.
Sacred Kingdom was not an original entry for the Group One race but will be supplemented at a cost of GBP45,000 (HK$554,000) and the Jockey Club will seek a special exemption from the Home Affairs Bureau to bet on the race.
The club's allocation of 10 simulcast races expires with the running of the Yasuda Kinen in Tokyo on June 7.
'We already have our commitment to the Yasuda Kinen and it would be inappropriate in the extreme if we were to break that commitment at such a late date,' said executive director of racing Bill Nader. 'Two Hong Kong horses will be competing in the Yasuda Kinen so there will be a lot of local interest in that race as well.
'We will seek special permission from the government to bet on this one extra simulcast race from England. I hope the government sees fit to grant us the exemption. This is not something we could have planned for as the horse was not even an entry for the race. But it does illustrate the glaring shortcomings of the current system,' Nader added.