A Group One win, his second for the weekend, and another four-timer left Joao Moreira just eight short of a magical century for the season, but the Brazilian still left Sha Tin slightly annoyed after not being allowed to serve a three-meeting suspension immediately after Sunday's meeting.
Moreira's manoeuvring of Able Friend late in the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup attracted the attention of stewards, who slapped him with his third careless riding charge of the season - along with a massive HK$60,000 fine in lieu of another day - and then denied the rider's request to begin the ban with immediate effect.
While not disputing the actual charge, that he took the running of Real Specialist at the 200m mark of the HK$10 million race, Moreira asked for clarification from stewards on the deferment of suspensions during a long post-meeting hearing.
"I asked them why other jockeys have been able to do this and not me? I felt it was unfair, and the fine was very severe," said Moreira, who has ridden 17 winners at his last five meetings, with hauls of six, five and four at the last three Sha Tin fixtures.
Moreira, who rode Brazen Beau to victory in the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington on Saturday, now has 92 winners from just 50 meetings. Before Able Friend's win, Moreira had already won on Fortune Territory, Rouge Et Blanc and Top Act and had clinched his third straight Jockey Challenge win.
Stewards shifted the start of Moreira's suspension to April 12, deferring it beyond the normal five-meeting maximum allowed under the rules. The delay will allow Moreira to stay aboard Able Friend at his next start in the Group Two Chairman's Trophy and he will begin his suspension after stablemate Dominant runs in the Sydney Cup at Randwick later that week.
Chief steward Kim Kelly's reply to Moreira's questioning was typically forthright: "I would dispute the fact we've been inconsistent and I stress that we do not treat Joao Moreira differently to any other jockey. The guidelines are clear, it is only in exceptional circumstances that stewards will allow a rider to get off rides at such short notice and begin a suspension before the next race meeting.
"The current shortage of jockeys also meant that if Moreira were to withdraw, it would leave the Jockey Club with a problem at the midweek fixture. We only have 15 available riders for fields of 12, and if Joao doesn't ride it takes it down to 14 and we didn't believe that was fair on connections at this late stage to have to find a replacement jockey."
