The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges has confirmed it is conducting a full review of the veterinary procedures that took place surrounding the death of Liberty Island on Champions Day.
Liberty Island, Japan’s Triple Tiara heroine, was euthanised at Sha Tin on April 27 shortly after she suffered serious ligament damage to her near fore leg during her return to Hong Kong for the QEII Cup. Her tragic death sparked widespread sadness from her adoring fanbase and those closest to her and prompted floral tributes to pour in at her statue at Kyoto Racecourse.
After racing on Saturday at Sha Tin, Engelbrecht-Bresges addressed comments made by Northern Farm’s vice president Shunsuke Yoshida, who last week publicly expressed his sorrow over the loss of Liberty Island for the first time at a press session at Tokyo Racecourse.
“As someone who was in a position to make decisions from the ownership side, I keep wondering if I had made a different decision somewhere along the way, could things have turned out differently?” Yoshida told the media. “It’s too late now, but this has affected me on a level I have rarely experienced in all my years working in this industry.”
In the midst of his deeply personal reflection, which was reported by Japanese news outlets, Yoshida also added that neither the filly’s connections nor her trainer were consulted prior to the decision to euthanise.
“In Japan, even if euthanasia becomes inevitable, the trainer or owner would typically be contacted first and asked, ‘We can’t save her – do we have your consent?’ But in Hong Kong, there was none of that,” he added. “Everything was handled very quickly and efficiently. For us, who aren’t used to that kind of system… well… I kept thinking, ‘what if?’
In response to Yoshida’s statement, Engelbrecht-Bresges acknowledged the grief felt by connections and the wider racing public and confirmed the HKJC is conducting a full review of their procedures on the day and internal communication more generally.
“It was very sad to see such an incident and I can understand the significant disappointment people have and that you naturally question, ‘Could she be saved?’ and ‘What could be done better?’ – I would do the same,” Engelbrecht-Bresges told Idol Horse. “We will review procedures and if there is room for improvement, then we will do so.
“I personally think there are certain things I will have to have a discussion about internally. There’s going to be a report – Andrew [Harding, executive director of racing] has just returned to Hong Kong and he will be reviewing this.”
Engelbrecht-Bresges stressed that on-course veterinarians occasionally have to make immediate decisions in the best interests of the horse’s welfare, but also recognised the need for a review of their usual practices.
“Sometimes vets have to make a decision on the spot,” he continued. “I think the normal process would be to stabilise the horse and then bring them to the clinic when you can. The vet at that time obviously had a different view, but let’s see.
“The question is, can we do something different to delay the decision? Then, you have to be comfortable and reassured that the horse is stable, is not suffering, and so on. A lot of times these are decisions you have to make within a very short period of time and on the spot.
“We will have to see what the review says. One thing that is obvious is that we have to improve communication with our vet department.”
As part of the full review of the veterinary procedures that took place at Sha Tin on April 27, Engelbrecht-Bresges said diagnostic images have been sent to external specialists for independent analysis as they try to specify the exact extent of Liberty Island’s injuries.
He also reiterated the ongoing dialogue between the HKJC and Northern Farm, which included a recent visit to Conghua Racecourse by Yoshida the day after Champions Day with the Club’s head of racing commercial, James Ross.
“James is in regular dialogue with them and he’s had another discussion since then this week, on Wednesday or Thursday,” Engelbrecht-Bresges continued. “I will also see Northern Farm when I go to Japan and have a discussion with them to see if there is anything we have to look at.”
The full review is expected to take “two to three weeks,” Engelbrecht-Bresges concluded. ∎
