In that race, DREYFUSS (4 b.nz.g Oregon - My Amazing Grace by Siege Perilous) set the early pace and ended up seventh of eight runners behind the winner MUSCLE MAN.

That run probably cost the Laurie Laxon trained gelding a call-up for the S$3 million Singapore Airlines International Cup (SAIC) next week.

DREYFUSS won four consecutive races last year and was third to ZIRNA in the Singapore Gold Cup (2,200m) last November. He opened his 2004 campaign with a win over 1,400m and many, including this writer, thought he should have been among the six local horses selected last week based on his Singapore Gold Cup run.

Had he done better in the Chairman’s Trophy, it might have been a different story.

The initial inquiry into the running and riding of DREYFUSS was adjourned last week and resumed today.

Jockey Lim, the rider of DREYFUSS, was found guilty to a charge under MRA Rule 144.(2) punishable under MRA Rule 144.(5) for failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures throughout the race to ensure that DREYFUSS was given full opportunity of winning or of obtaining the best possible placing. The particulars of the charge are:

• that when riding DREYFUSS in the seventh race at the Singapore Turf Club Meeting on Friday, 23 April 2004, after jumping from an inside barrier, he did not make sufficient attempt to get his horse to race off the pace as specifically instructed by the Trainer when there was an opportunity to do so, thereby allowing DREYFUSS to race in a forward position that was not to its best advantage to win or of obtaining the best possible placing and he thereby committed an offence under Rule 144.(2) of the Malayan Racing Association and punishable under Rule 144.(5) of the same Rules of Racing.

Jockey Lim was disqualified for a period of one year with immediate effect and was advised of his right of appeal.