The Hong Kong Jockey Club inquiry into the serious fall suffered by work rider Chan Kwok-leung will enter a third day at Happy Valley this morning. The hearing had been expected to reach a conclusion yesterday, but it was adjourned for a second time after veteran trainer Alex Wong Siu-tan, who has been charged with a breach of Jockey Club rules over the incident involving his horse The Young Treasure, asked for Australian jockey Craig Williams to give evidence.
Williams was unavailable yesterday as he was returning from Australia, where he rode at the weekend, but his evidence will be heard when the inquiry reconvenes at 11.30am today. Williams rode The Young Treasure on its racecourse debut in December, before French jockey Davy Bonilla took over on the gelding's only subsequent outing.
Wong left yesterday's 3.25-hour hearing without comment, but Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Club's director of racing, said it was vital for the inquiry to look at all aspects of the case. 'This is a very serious and difficult case and there is a lot of evidence to consider. Following the evidence that was given today, Mr Wong Siu-tan wanted the opportunity to call a further witness, or witnesses, and it is only fair and proper that we should entertain his request.'
The inquiry follows Chan's trackwork fall from The Young Treasure almost three weeks ago in which the 25-year-old was seriously injured. The work rider, who has been allocated to Wong since August 1997, remains in a stable but critical condition.
The inquiry, which opened on February 9 with a 3.25-hour hearing that heard evidence from 18 witnesses, doubled its time span yesterday with another marathon session. It was attended by Chan's brother Chan Kwok-kin and sister Chan Mei-ying.
Wong, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, offered written submissions which had been prepared on his behalf by leading counsel Kevin Egan, and the inquiry also received a written submission from the Racehorse Trainers' Association.