Three ceremonial horses that former Macau Jockey Club (MJC) staff members said were at risk of being put down will be transported abroad and be taken care of, according to the Municipal Affairs Bureau (also known by its Portuguese initials IAM).
The reassurance came after former MJC employee Chan Lai Iong submitted a petition to Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng last Friday.
Chan called for the government to adopt and house the animals in Coloane’s Seac Pai Van Park, where she hopes they can be used for recreational purposes. “I hope the MJC and the Macao government can discuss the matter,” she told local media, “and that the three horses can enjoy the latter part of their lives in peace.”
[See more: Macao’s horse racing era draws to a close as the curtain falls on the Macau Jockey Club]
The MJC closed down last Monday after over forty years of operation, as a result of crushing debts and paltry attendances at its Taipa racetrack.
Some 289 racehorses remain stabled at Taipa. The MJC plans to transport them to mainland China and overseas to countries such as Malaysia and the US. A deadline of March 2025 has been set to have all the horses removed from the city.
The IAM said that it would meanwhile keep a close eye on the health of the animals, noting that it had recently dispatched veterinarians to conduct inspections, finding the horses to be in a good condition overall.
