Race club makes it mandatory for owners to back their own horse

A Malaysian race club has introduced a controversial measure requiring owners to effectively bet on their own horses in an attempt to combat falling pari-mutuel turnover at its meetings.

The Perak Turf Club, based in Ipoh and soon to be one of only two operational race clubs in Malaysia, has issued a directive to Malayan Racing Association-licensed trainers that a mandatory RM1000 (A$364) betting contribution will be required with each race nomination.

This is in addition to the standard RM324 (A$118) nomination fee, with the club placing the RM1000 on each horse in the local totaliser pool as an each-way bet — RM500 on the win and RM500 on the place.

The betting slips will be held by the respective trainers, with any dividends to be collected and distributed to the owners.

The move comes amid widespread concern over the dominance of illegal offshore betting platforms such as Citibet, which have significantly eroded on-course tote betting not only in Malaysia but also in neighbouring regions like Singapore.

Perak Turf Club management is hopeful the measure will help redirect some of the wagering back into the official betting pools and support the struggling local industry.

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