Bad boys Doyle, Doleuze and Ho given a dressing down by stewards
Three jockeys will miss two meetings apiece after the stewards laid down the law with chief stipe Kim Kelly handing down careless-riding suspensions to Brett Doyle, Olivier Doleuze and apprentice Vincent Ho Chak-yiu.
The blitz on the jockeys ranks must have been all too much for Jacky Tong Chi-Kit, who was fined HK$2,000 for smoking in the jockeys' room, but perhaps the unusual threat of a python lurking in the tie-up stalls was simply too much to bear without a quick hit of nicotine.
Doyle copped the biggest penalty, however, when he was fined HK$20,000 and suspended for two meetings for careless riding on Let Me Handle It near the 300m of the Lung Shan Handicap (1,600m).
Doyle will be sidelined from October 11 to October 18 for his indiscretions in driving the impressive Caspar Fownes-trained youngster to a five-length win. Ho was also charged with careless riding in the same event for causing interference passing the 1,200m mark. He will sit out the two meetings between September 27 and October 7. Doleuze escaped a fine, but was outed for two meetings (from October 2 to 11) for careless riding on Star Legend near the 100m mark of the Needle Hill Handicap down the straight.
While many of the jockeys were left to lick their wounds after the dressing down from the stewards, trainer Sean Woods was celebrating his win with Grand Dancer in the final race of the meeting.
Ridden by Jeff Lloyd, Grand Dancer weaved his way through the pack to nail a gritty half-length win over Shifachi Tradition, with Ambitious Owner in close attendance, third.
Woods continues to credit his early-season success to the Jockey Club's upgrade of the Olympic Stable exercise ring and was delighted to pick up his second win of the new term.
'Fitness-wise he will come on a lot for that win, and there is going to be good improvement in him next time,' Woods said. 'He was just coming to the end of his fitness on the line, but it was great that he stuck his neck out because those 85-60 rated races are few and far between and are usually very competitive.
'Grand Dancer will enjoy the lighter weight at the bottom of Class Two, but it's more a problem of where he will be in the run in the higher grade race.
'Jeff gave him a lovely ride today, but this horse may get shuffled further back against the better class.'
