14.03.2026 12:01
It has been revealed that Suat Topçu, the owner of Smart Latch, a 4-year-old English horse that has won 3 first places and was cut up and distributed as roast after being injured at the Adana Yeşiloba Hippodrome, was fined 132,108 TL for not reporting the situation of the horse being donated.
A person eating at the Mersin Metropolitan Municipality soup kitchen reportedly filed a complaint with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry after finding a foreign substance in their roast. Teams from the General Directorate of Food and Control, affiliated with the ministry, determined that the foreign substance found in the food was an electronic identification chip belonging to the racehorse Smart Latch, which was running at the Adana Yeşiloba Hippodrome, and samples were taken from the food for analysis. After the analysis, it was understood that the roast was made from horse meat. It was also determined that the source of the meat was the English racehorse Smart Latch.
IT WAS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE MINISTRY'S LIST
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry announced on March 12 that single-hoofed meat was detected in the roast meat cooked in the Mersin Metropolitan Municipality's kitchen in the adulteration list it published. After the issue became public, the Mersin Metropolitan Municipality stated that the supply of meat related to the roast that came out of the soup kitchen was provided in accordance with the regulations.
"I LEARNED ABOUT IT WHEN THE MINISTRY OFFICIALS CALLED AND I WAS DEVASTATED"
The horse's owner, businessman Suat Topçu, stated that they withdrew Smart Latch, who last ran on October 14, 2025, at the Adana Hippodrome, finishing the race in 7th place and was not seen on the tracks afterward, due to a leg injury, and that they were looking for a reliable place to donate the horse after the injury. Topçu mentioned that they delivered the horse for free to an equestrian club in Osmaniye upon the recommendation of a transport friend, and he explained that he became aware of the events after being called by officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and was very upset. It was revealed that Suat Topçu was fined 132,108 TL for not reporting the situation of the horse being donated.
A FINE OF 132 THOUSAND TL WAS IMPOSED
Suat Topçu, speaking to DHA, said, "I had delivered it to the equestrian club. Then, as a result of the call from the ministry officials, I learned about what happened afterward and was devastated. It is a very bad feeling to cause harm while trying to do good. They fined me too. We were supposed to report that we donated the horse. A fine of 132 thousand TL was imposed. We gave our statements, and those who received the horse also gave their statements. The investigation initiated by the ministry is still ongoing. This is a great evil, a lack of conscience. The fine is not important; I think the investigation should go to the end, the perpetrator should be punished, and the authority should find a permanent solution regarding the fate of horses whose racing careers have ended."
"IF THE CHIP HADN'T COME OUT, WE WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN EITHER"
Addressing the horse racing authority, Topçu continued:
"Neither I nor any horse owner or trainer in this community has ever seen or heard of such an issue until now. We always said, 'Such a thing cannot happen in our community,' regarding the news about single-hoofed meat and horse meat that we occasionally read in the media. The chip of our horse came out of that food. What if it hadn't come out? Unfortunately, we wouldn't have known either. I think the ministry and the racing authority or TJK should establish a workflow like they do abroad. For example, in England, you take your horses whose racing careers have ended, and you deliver them to the authority by paying a certain fee. They handle the donation process that we are dealing with. If it is to be left in a nature park, or if it is to be given to veterinary faculties or equestrian clubs, they can do that as well. If it is to be left in nature, the state has nature conservation parks. These animals need to continue their retirement lives under supervision here. This should be done by a regulatory authority, and measures should be taken to prevent such incidents."