Yeap disqualified 9 years

PENANG,  9 December 2003

Penang based trainer Yeap Poh Keat was disqualified a total of nine years when the Stipendiary Stewards concluded their inquiry into an instrument confiscated from him during the Penang October/November Meeting and subsequent report on results of analysis conducted on the instrument and the urine sample taken from I'M SPECTACULAR.

At the end of the lengthy inquiry conducted at the Penang Turf Club (PNTC) on Wednesday afternoon, Yeap was banned 13 years under five charges but with two penalties to run concurrently, he will be sidelined for a total of nine years.

  • Yeap was found guilty of a charge under MRA Rule 45 (a) in that he permitted Paul, a temporary syce, not being a holder of a trainer’s licence issued by the MRA, to train horses namely BE AHEAD, PRIVATE EQUITY, OLYMPIC STYLE, MEGA SUCCESS and I'M SPECTACULAR between September 11 to November 21, 2003 at the racecourse in Penang which horses, were at all material times, under his cahrge. Yeap was disqualified two years.

  • Yeap was found guilty of a charge under MRA Rule 200 (5) on November 1, 2003 at about 4.25pm in the saddling area of the PNTC racecourse, he caused his syce Paul to administer to the horse, I'M SPECTACULAR a fluid which contained a prohibited substance, namely Mefenamic Acid, by means of nasogastric instrument, a metal pressure infuser. He was disqualified two years.

  • Yeap, was found guilty of a charge under MRA Rule 203 (b) in that the racehorse I'M SPECTACULAR, which was accepted to run in Race 7 on November 1, 2003 at the PNTC meeting, failed its post-race examination in that a urine sample taken showed the presence of Mefenamic Acid. He was disqualified two years. Acting under the powers of MRA Rule (203 (c) (i), the stewards disqualified I'M SPECTACULAR from its race (6th placing) and amended the placings.

  • Yeap was found guilty of a charge under MRA Rule 234 (F) in that on November 14, 2003, at the inquiry of the Stewards in respect of the presence of Mefenamic Acid, he brought Robert Savarimuthu, a syce temporary registered with the PNTC, to make a false statement to wit that he, Savarimuthu administered a substance to I'M SPECTACULAR when in fact, he did not believe to be true in order to mislead the stewards. Yeap was disqualified two years.

  • Yeap was also served with a two-year disqualification (to run concurrently with the first two charges) for conspiring and agreeing to a malpractice on the employment of Tan by Lim Kok Leong, to train five horses mentioned above between September and November 2003.

Under a joint charge with Tan and Lim under Rule 200(12), for conspiring and agreeing to a fraudulent practice of bringing Savarimuthu to give false evidence at the inquiry, Yeap got three years which is to be served concurrently with the consecutive charge under Rule 234(F). Yeap was given seven days to finalise his training operations.

Tan, who failed to appear at the inquiry, was disqualified 6 1/2 years while Lim received a five-year ban. Savarimuthu was disqualified three years under Rule 200(2) for offering to accept a bribe amounting to a six-month wage if he is suspended for giving false evidence at the inquiry.