Hong Kong Jockey Club Mum on Race-Fixing Reports

The Hong Kong Jockey Club has issued a statement saying it cannot comment on published reports saying that anti-corruption officers have arrested 19 people, including two jockeys, as a result of a race-fixing investigation.

According to Reuters news service the arrests, the result of an investigation by the Independent Commission Against Corruption, were made Wednesday, one of the biggest racing days of the year in Hong Kong.

The ICAC declined to name the jockeys involved and added that those arrested also included four HKJC employees, a suspected illegal bookmaker, a saleswoman, and a gambling consultant, according to Reuters.

"We are not in a position to comment on ICAC operation code-named 'Green Grass' nor should we disclose any related information to the public," the HKJC statement said. "As always, the club is determined to ensure that racing in Hong Kong is of the highest level of integrity and to protect the interest of the Hong Kong people."

According to Reuters, the ICAC issued a statement that said, "It was alleged that two jockeys and the four Hong Kong Jockey Club employees had accepted advantages from illegal bookmakers as rewards for supplying stable racing information and manipulating race results." It also said the investigation is continuing.