The Stewards today continued their inquiry into W M Lai’s riding of WINNING CONTROLLER in the Collection Handicap which was run at Sha Tin Racecourse on Sunday, 17 March 2019. Further evidence was today taken from Jockey Lai and Mr C H Yip, the trainer of WINNING CONTROLLER. A written authority for Mr Yip to represent the interests of Mr Byron Yiu Kwan Tat, the owner of WINNING CONTROLLER, at today’s inquiry was tendered.
W M Lai was charged with having breached Hong Kong Rule of Racing 99 (2) in that as the rider of WINNING CONTROLLER in the stated race, he failed to take all reasonable and permissible measures throughout the race to ensure WINNING CONTROLLER was given a full opportunity to win or to obtain the best possible placing in the field.
The particulars of the charge being:-
1. That having comfortably settled WINNING CONTROLLER after the 1200 Metres approximately a half length behind and outside COOLCELEB, the leader of the race, he did unnecessarily allow WINNING CONTROLLER to improve its position to be almost racing on terms with COOLCELEB after the 950 Metres which caused the tempo of the race from that point to increase significantly when it was both reasonable and permissible for WINNING CONTROLLER to have maintained its previous position outside and behind COOLCELEB.
2. That after allowing WINNING CONTROLLER to unnecessarily improve its position passing the 950 Metres, he did then position his mount to race on terms with or in advance of COOLCELEB, thereby applying sustained pressure to that horse which caused the section of the race between the 800 Metres and the 400 Metres to be run at a very fast tempo when it was both reasonable and permissible for WINNING CONTROLLER to have been positioned outside and behind COOLCELEB and for the race to be run at a reasonable tempo.
3. That he allowed WINNING CONTROLLER to improve its position to be almost racing on terms with COOLCELEB after the 950 Metres and then positioned his mount to race on terms with or in advance of that horse until near the 400 Metres, thereby causing the middle stages of the race to be run at an unnecessarily fast tempo despite the riding instructions issued by Mr C H Yip, the trainer of WINNING CONTROLLER, that it was acceptable to have that horse in 2nd or 3rd position.
4. That by allowing WINNING CONTROLLER to improve its position to be almost racing on terms with COOLCELEB after the 950 Metres and by then positioning his mount to race on terms with or in advance of that horse until near the 400 Metres which caused that section of the race to be run at an unnecessarily fast tempo, he did fail to take all reasonable and permissible measures throughout the race to ensure that WINNING CONTROLLER was given a full opportunity to win or to obtain the best possible placing in the field.
The Stewards acceded to a request submitted by Jockey Lai that the inquiry be adjourned to allow him the opportunity to consider the evidence prior to entering a plea to the charge. The inquiry is therefore adjourned until a date to be fixed.
