Leading local jockey Alex Lai Hoi-wing has been stood down from riding indefinitely, pending an inquiry into a positive drug test for the banned substance methylephedrine.
Dr Terence Wan See-ming, the Hong Kong Jockey Club's racing laboratory chief, informed the stewards that Lai's urine sample, supplied after his name was drawn randomly along with other riders on October 4 at Sha Tin, showed the presence of methylephedrine above the club's prescribed threshold.
Lai was informed of the finding but did not take up his right to have the reserve, or 'B' portion of the sample, tested by an independent laboratory.
That will speed the process to an inquiry into the test and chief steward Kim Kelly said last night that the hearing 'will be sooner rather than later'.
This is the first season that the Jockey Club has included methylephedrine on its list of banned substances, falling into line with other racing jurisdictions and with the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).
Wada lists methylephedrine as a banned stimulant when the concentration in a urine sample is greater than 10 micrograms per millilitre and the Jockey Club has adopted the same threshold.
A threshold is necessary as methylephedrine is frequently used for its moderate stimulant effects.
