Racehorse Meat Served at Soup Kitchen, Outrage Ensues

A champion English racehorse, Smart Latch, met a grim fate after being retired due to injury. The four-year-old mare was allegedly slaughtered and her meat served at a municipal soup kitchen in Turkey's Yenshir district, Mersin province. The disturbing discovery occurred last month when a diner found a microchip in his meal of kavurma, a traditional Turkish fried meat dish.

Agriculture ministry investigators confirmed the microchip belonged to Smart Latch, a horse with multiple wins. Subsequent examinations revealed horse meat in the kavurma prepared on February 4 and the preceding day. Approximately 213 kilograms of the suspect dish were destroyed. The slaughter of horses for meat is illegal in Turkey, with special protections for registered racehorses.

Smart Latch's owner, Suat Topcu, stated he had arranged for the horse to be donated to a riding club. He was later fined 132,000 Turkish Lira (£2,260) for not formally reporting the donation. Investigators suspect the horse never reached the riding club and was instead sent to a slaughterhouse, with its meat falsely labeled as beef and sold to the soup kitchen's supplier. The Mersin municipality stated the meat was sourced according to regulations, while the investigation continues.