Grand National pursuit

Equestrian sports are attracting growing attention among Chinese.[Photo provided to China Daily]

As enthusiasm for thoroughbred racing grows across the country, Wuhan will host the fourth China Equine Cultural Festival this weekend. Wang Kaihao reports.

Teo Ah Khing, a Chinese-Malaysian architect, is helping to make something out of almost nothing in the Chinese mainland.

In 2013, when he staged the first China Equine Cultural Festival in Hohhot, capital of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, attracting horse owners with 39 thoroughbreds to participate, there was a widespread misconception in China about thoroughbred racing.

"Thoroughbred racing doesn't necessarily have anything to do with betting," he says, trying to allay fears that once you have horses racing around a track, the next step is gambling.

"What I am talking about is a high value-added industry benefiting agriculture and creating jobs. It has just started in China."

On the eve of the next edition of the festival, which will be held on Saturday in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, Teo exudes confidence.

This is the fourth time the festival has been held, and five thoroughbred races will be held that day.

Wuhan made a tentative attempt to hold thoroughbred racing in 2008, which had disappeared in the Chinese mainland after 1949.

The festival will feature the announcement that China will send its best jockeys to the top training centers in the Americas for about half a year.

The jockeys will have the chance to participate in racing in the Caribbean during the Northern Hemisphere winter.