A Hong Kong company is on track to open one of China's biggest horse-racing courses in Wuhan, in anticipation that the country will eventually legalise betting on the sport.
Orient Lucky Horse Industry Company is investing 1.6 billion yuan (HK$1.5 billion) to build the complex in the western part of the city.
The complex, with a size of one million sq metres, will include a race course, a hotel, shopping centres and homes for sale. It will also have a stud farm able to raise 1,400 horses. Work began last year.
But the firm faces long odds if it is betting on a change of gambling policy any time soon.
Wuhan vice-mayor Li Tao yesterday said the city government had no plan to legalise betting on horse racing and would not be pushing for change at national level.
'This is a sensitive issue. We will follow the central government's policy. We won't actively lobby for it,' the vice-mayor said.
