Police Investigating Valley Devices

Security at Happy Valley racecourse in Hong Kong is being stepped up after 12 projectile devices were found embedded in the track before Wednesday's meeting.

The remote-controlled devices were placed evenly across the track at the six-furlong start in the area where the stalls were to be placed.

It is reported that all but two of the metal tubes, each a foot long, contained liquid-filled syringes which would have been propelled by compressed air.

The devices are currently undergoing forensic tests to determine whether the contents would affect a horses performance.

'We haven't seen anything like this before,' an investigating officer told the South China Morning Post. 'We're not even sure how the device functions.

'It's a very complicated piece of equipment, very sophisticated.'

Commissioner of Police Tang King-shing spoke to Hong Kong Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges on Thursday and assured him the incident was being treated as high priority.

Stephen Chandler, the HKJC's executive director of security, added: 'It would be very premature to call this an inside job, but the perpetrator has certainly done his homework very thoroughly, and has demonstrated some painstaking research.'

(C) PA Sport