10/10/2018  Happy Valley  Race 6

LOCKHEED was withdrawn on 9.10.18 by order of the Stewards acting on veterinary advice (lame left fore) and was replaced by Standby Declared Starter SIR REDALOT (K Teetan). Before being allowed to race again, LOCKHEED will be subjected to an official veterinary examination. ATTENTION, which was fractious in the barriers, began very awkwardly and lost ground. GOOD OMEN began awkwardly and stumbled, resulting in the horse losing ground. GAMEPLAYER EMPEROR shifted out at the start and bumped FAIRY TWINS. From wide barriers, KEEP WINNING, TENNESSEE BOSS and SIR REDALOT were all shifted across behind runners in the early stages. After travelling a short distance, GAMEPLAYER EMPEROR and FAIRY TWINS bumped on two occasions, resulting in both horses becoming unbalanced. Approaching the 700 Metres, GOOD OMEN raced tight inside ATTENTION (Apprentice C Wong) which shifted in before being directed back out to relieve the tightening. Apprentice Wong will be advised to exercise more care. Approaching and passing the 200 Metres, JADE THEATRE raced in restricted room when taken a tight run between VICTORY MACHINE and DOUBLE VALENTINE. When improving between VICTORY MACHINE and DOUBLE VALENTINE, JADE THEATRE bumped DOUBLE VALENTINE on the hindquarters. JADE THEATRE then continued to race tight between DOUBLE VALENTINE and VICTORY MACHINE until passing the 150 Metres. For the majority of the race, ATTENTION travelled wide and without cover. The Stewards deferred the declaration of weighed-in whilst the considered an incident which occurred passing the 100 Metres. Z Purton, the rider of second placed, JADE THEATRE, and M Chadwick, the rider of fourth placed, VICTORY MACHINE, viewed the videos of this section of the race. Neither Jockeys Purton nor Chadwick elected to lodge a formal protest/objection. The Stewards then considered whether there were grounds for a protest/objection on behalf of VICTORY MACHINE against FAIRY TWINS which finished third. After viewing all the videos, the Stewards were satisfied that FAIRY TWINS had come from some distance behind VICTORY MACHINE in the early part of the Straight to improve past VICTORY MACHINE and despite VICTORY MACHINE sustaining interference near the 75 Metres, the Stewards were not satisfied that VICTORY MACHINE would have finished in front of FAIRY TWINS. Therefore, the Stewards elected not to proceed to a formal protest/objection hearing. At a subsequent inquiry, Apprentice M F Poon (FAIRY TWINS) pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding [Rule 100(1)] in that passing the 100 Metres he permitted his mount to shift in when not clear of VICTORY MACHINE, causing that horse to be badly hampered and in turn taken in onto JADE THEATRE which was also badly hampered and taken in across the rightful running of DOUBLE VALENTINE which was severely checked and made heavy contact with the hindquarters of PERFECT GLORY, resulting in that horse becoming badly unbalanced when racing tight outside MY CHANCE. GAMEPLAYER EMPEROR, which was initially following VICTORY MACHINE after the 100 Metres, was steadied and shifted out from behind VICTORY MACHINE and FAIRY TWINS as the incident was occurring. Apprentice Poon was suspended from riding in races for a period to commence on Sunday, 28 October 2018 and to expire on Monday, 5 November 2018 on which day he may resume race riding (3 Hong Kong racedays). In assessing penalty, the Stewards had regard to the high degree of carelessness exhibited by Apprentice Poon as well as the significant nature of the interference sustained by a number of runners, in particular DOUBLE VALENTINE. A veterinary inspection of GOOD OMEN immediately following the race did not show any significant findings. DOUBLE VALENTINE, PERFECT GLORY and JADE THEATRE were sent for sampling.