from RACING POST HKRising four-year-old Dragon Fighter set himself down the road to better assignments with his win in yesterday's Midland Holdings Cup (1,400m) at Sha Tin, but the celebrations were spoiled for the winning rider Keith Yeung Ming-lun with both a fourth and fifth suspension for the season - and an ultimatum from stewards. Last season's champion junior rider earned himself a three-day ban for causing interference to St Didar in the early stages, but it was his move off the rail rou
from RACING POST HK
Rising four-year-old Dragon Fighter set himself down the road to better assignments with his win in yesterday's Midland Holdings Cup (1,400m) at Sha Tin, but the celebrations were spoiled for the winning rider Keith Yeung Ming-lun with both a fourth and fifth suspension for the season - and an ultimatum from stewards. Last season's champion junior rider earned himself a three-day ban for causing interference to St Didar in the early stages, but it was his move off the rail rounding the home turn that caught every eye.
Yeung took St Didar out on to Sparkling Power as he shifted from the rail to be three out turning for home, pushing both those horses right off the track before Yeung sent Dragon Fighter clear to win from the fast-finishing Diego, with former New Zealand Derby winner Military Move in third.
Yeung pleaded guilty to both careless riding charges, the second bringing a four-day ban from riding, with both penalties to be served concurrently in line with the general policy regarding multiple suspensions which occur during the same ride.
It means Yeung will be out until January 10, but chief steward Kim Kelly said the panel would take the unprecedented move of demanding Yeung attend a meeting with club officials, the club riding instructor and Almond Lee, his allocated trainer, before he commences riding again at that time.
"We have only had 29 meetings this season and Keith Yeung has now had five careless riding suspensions in that time - he has only just come back from six meetings out suspended - that isn't an acceptable level of frequency for this kind of offence," Kelly said. "Something is wrong and we will be sitting down to discuss what it is."
Club officials indicated one of the top senior riders may be called on to instruct Yeung in where he is going wrong in an effort to prevent this season becoming a repeat of Yeung's judicial failings last term.
In 2009-10, Yeung received 18 racing days of suspension for careless riding - a tally which is already 15 days this season well before the halfway mark - and missed another nine days due to penalties for misconduct and for failing to obey instructions.
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