Members accuse troubled Macau Jockey Club of mismanagement
Letter from disgruntled members accuses racing body of 'appalling' management amid losses and worsening decline in sport's popularity
Bosses at the Macau Jockey Club have been accused of mismanagement by a group of disgruntled members who claim budget cuts have left it in a dire state.
The claims - outlined in an open letter to club management signed by 19 members - come after the Sunday Morning Post revealed concerns over the well-being of Hong Kong's most successful racehorse, the now- retired Viva Pataca, which is housed in a spartan stable.
A spokesman for the Macau Jockey Club rejected the claims, saying the members' concerns had been addressed.
At their heart lies the collapse in popularity of horse racing in Macau and what some claim is the need for new management to revive the sport's fortunes.
The club has failed to make a profit since 2004, racking up losses of 3.8 billion patacas. In 2013 alone, high costs ate up revenue of 365 million patacas, leading to losses of 41.4 million patacas.
In the letter, the members say they want to "reclaim our rights", and turn fire on the Macau government, asking what conditions franchises get despite the Jockey Club's management being "appalling", overseeing "long-standing deficits" that have caused harm to "the public and horse owners' interests".