Pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho has said he will suspend his horse, named Hong Kong Bet, from running in all races. The move came after the Hong Kong Jockey Club cancelled all races on Wednesday over security concerns, following protest calls against Ho, whose horse was scheduled to run that night.
Ho said in a statement that he was disappointed with the decision to cancel the races and the loss suffered by the horseracing industry and fans.
āAfter deliberations with two co-owners, for supporting the healthy development of horse racing for public benefit in Hong Kong, for the legal rights of horse racing fans, and for the sake of Hong Kongās long term stability and calmness, we decided to halt Hong Kong Bet from participating in races until disturbances in Hong Kong have stopped,ā he said.
āHong Kong Bet is innocent, it is not a crime to love my country and love Hong Kong,ā he said.
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Posted by ä½åå Æ (Junius Ho Kwan Yiu) on Thursday, 19 September 2019
Ho attracted controversy after he shook hands with a group of people allegedly involved in the mob attacks in Yuen Long on July 21. His district offices have attracted different levels of protest over the past two months, including arson and vandalism.
Ho has also called for a city-wide movement this Saturday to āclean upā walls, apparently hinting at removing āLennon Wallā message boards across the city.
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