Busy stewards to grill apprentice So over Super Fortune ride
Stewards have adjourned an inquiry into apprentice Ben So Tik-hung's ride aboard Super Fortune in the Harlech Handicap (1,000m) to a date to be announced after having a busy evening.
The stipes handed out suspensions to Douglas Whyte and Brett Doyle and fined Vincent Sit Shun-keung after an eventful day's racing, but it is the adjourned inquiry into So's handling of Super Fortune which holds a considerable amount of interest.
So allowed his mount to settle in a rearward position in the field despite having jumped from the prized outside gate.
After travelling 200m he was a clear last, tailing the second last horse by five lengths.
Super Fortune rattled home with the fastest final sectional in the race to place sixth and stewards will no doubt be keen to find out why the youngster allowed his mount to settle so far from the rear of the peloton.
Champion hoop Whyte was suspended for two meetings and fined HK$40,000 after he pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding aboard the beaten favourite Brave Kid in the Group Two Chairman's Trophy after causing interference to the John Moore-trained Collection, ridden by Jeff Lloyd.
Whyte's suspension has been deferred until after the Champions Mile meeting on April 25 and he will resume riding on May 2.
Brett Doyle's recent run of luck both here and in Dubai was brought to a halt by the stewards, who also sidelined him for two meetings on a charge of careless riding.
Doyle was also fined HK$15,000 for the same incident, which occurred aboard the Andy Leung Ting-wah-trained Megabucks in the first race.
Chief steward Kim Kelly pulled no punches when he described Sit's effort on Bel Canto as 'bordering on incompetent' and the panel fined the rider HK$5,000 for dropping one of reins during the running of the Pollock Handicap (1,400m).
