Jockey Alex Lai Hoi-wing was given an extra long summer break by racing stewards yesterday after being found guilty of breaching the running and handling rules on Good Method at the season finale at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Lai has a right of appeal remaining but, as it stands, he will be missing until late October after a 14-meeting suspension under rules 99 (2) and (5), relating to him taking all “reasonable and permissible measures” to win the race or obtain the best possible placing on Good Method, who was third to Go Sandy Go in race six.
Stewards had adjourned the inquiry after taking initial evidence on Sunday and yesterday took further evidence from the jockey and trainer, Danny Shum Chap-shing, who also acted for the horse’s owner, before Lai was charged.
Stewards outlined five aspects of the ride with which they were not satisfied, all dealing with the jockey’s vigour and whip use at different stages of the final 350 metres on the four-year-old. The horse was ultimately beaten one and a half lengths.
The stewards believed Lai had taken a “prolonged distance” to switch hands in order to use his whip when Good Method was shifting out in a minor incident with Unicorn, then he ceased riding from the 250m to the 200m and subsequently showed insufficient vigour twice in the final 200m.
Lai pleaded not guilty but was found guilty and stewards noted that, although this was his first such offence, the jockey was guilty of a “high-range breach” and “in the opinion of the stewards, had Good Method have been ridden with sufficient purpose and vigour in the home straight, the horse could potentially have won the race”.
Lai was suspended from Sunday, September 6 – the opening day of the new season – until Friday, October 23, 2015, and was the fourth rider suspended under the “reasonable and permissible measures” rule for the season.
Howard Cheng Yue-tin (18 meetings) and Gerald Mosse (15 meetings) received higher penalties as they had prior offences, while apprentice Dicky Lui Cheuk-yin received an eight-day ban for his breach.
