Stipendiary stewards have decided to accept ear plugs as legitimate gear in Hong Kong racing, and have amended the rules of racing to accommodate them.
Jockey Club racing secretary Marco Cheng advised an amendment to Stewards Instruction 5(2)(xi) which previously prohibited the use of deafeners (ear plugs) in races in Hong Kong.
The amended Instruction now reads: 'Only ear plugs of a design approved by the Stewards and passed by the Club's Veterinary Surgeon shall be permitted to be used on horses in races. When a horse is declared to race with ear plugs, such ear plugs must not be removed during the course of the race and must remain in place until after the horse has been unsaddled following the race. Ear plugs shall not be used by horses wearing a hood.'
The addition or removal of ear plugs to the gear in which a horse races shall be shown in the race card by the use of 'E1' and 'E-' respectively.