01/01/2022  Shatin  Race 11

MIGHTY VALOR stumbled at the start and then lost ground when crowded for room between KINDA COOL which shifted out and NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE which shifted in after being bumped by KOWLOON GREAT which shifted in after being bumped by NEVER TOO SOON. This resulted in MIGHTY VALOR being positioned at the rear of the field in the early stages. MIGHTY VALOR then commenced to travel keenly and got its head up on a number of occasions when awkwardly placed behind KINDA COOL approaching and passing the 1200 Metres. MIGHTY VALOR was then allowed to improve around KINDA COOL and into a more forward position, however, raced wide and without cover throughout. Despite being ridden along for some distance in the early stages, AMAZING CHOCOLATE failed to muster speed. ENNEA FORTUNE got its head up on a number of occasions when being steadied in the early stages to obtain cover from a wide barrier. Near the 1150 Metres, KOWLOON GREAT was shifted in away from the heels of ZONE D. Approaching the 1100 Metres, COBHFIELD got its head up when travelling keenly and awkwardly placed inside the heels of HORSESAIN BOLT. After this, COBHFIELD continued to travel keenly and shifted out away from the heels of HORSESAIN BOLT making the turn near the 900 Metres. COBHFIELD was shifted out away from the heels of MIGHTY VALOR approaching the 700 Metres when continuing to prove very difficult to settle and then gave ground in the Straight. The performance of COBHFIELD, which finished tailed out, was considered unacceptable. Before being allowed to race again, COBHFIELD will be required to perform to the satisfaction of the Stewards in a barrier trial and be subjected to an official veterinary examination. A veterinary inspection of COBHFIELD immediately following the race did not show any significant findings. Approaching the 300 Metres, ZOOM BOOM was shifted out away from the heels of MIGHTY VALOR which was giving ground. Near the 250 Metres, MIGHTY VALOR, which was continuing to give ground, was shifted in away from the heels of ZOOM BOOM and in doing so inconvenienced KOWLOON GREAT. The Stewards deferred the declaration of weighed-in as they were of the prima facie view that an incident occurred which cast sufficient doubt on whether OSCAR GLORY (V Borges) should be declared the second placegetter of the race. Subsequently, B Shinn, the rider of HORSESAIN BOLT, third placegetter, lodged a protest/objection against OSCAR GLORY being declared the second placegetter alleging interference to his mount over the final 200 Metres. After taking evidence from both parties and after viewing the videos, it was established that as HORSESAIN BOLT attempted to improve to the outside of OSCAR GLORY from just prior to the 200 Metres until passing the 150 Metres, OSCAR GLORY shifted out, resulting in HORSESAIN BOLT being taken out and being inconvenienced and which resulted in HORSESAIN BOLT being directed to the inside of OSCAR GLORY at about the 125 Metres. As HORSESAIN BOLT was attempting to improve to the inside of OSCAR GLORY, that horse was corrected by its rider which resulted in HORSESAIN BOLT having to be directed in away from the heels of OSCAR GLORY and being hampered. After considering the manner in which both horses finished off the race over about the final 100 Metres after HORSESAIN BOLT was able to establish clear and unimpeded running to the inside of OSCAR GLORY and the half-length margin between those horses at the end of the race, the Stewards could not be satisfied to the requisite degree that HORSESAIN BOLT would have finished in front of OSCAR GLORY if not for the interference and accordingly, the protest/objection was overruled and weighed-in was declared on the numbers semaphored by the Judge. At a subsequent inquiry, V Borges pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding [Rule 100(1)] in that for some distance approaching and passing the 200 Metres he permitted his mount to shift out when riding it along, resulting in HORSESAIN BOLT being unnecessarily inconvenienced and near the 150 Metres being shifted to the inside of OSCAR GLORY after losing the running to which it was rightfully entitled. V Borges was suspended from riding in races for a period to commence on Sunday, 6 February 2022 and to expire on Thursday, 10 February 2022 on which day he may resume race riding (2 Hong Kong racedays). In assessing penalty, the Stewards took into account Jockey Borges’ good race riding record. A veterinary inspection of KINDA COOL and MIGHTY VALOR immediately following the race did not show any significant findings. ZONE D, NAVAS TWO and OSCAR GLORY were sent for sampling.