Popular South African jockey Grant van Niekerk has been sacked by the Hong Kong Jockey Club with immediate effect.
The South China Morning Post reports that Van Niekerk, who was fifth in the jockeys’ championship, was ‘delicensed’ by the HKJC licensing committee on Monday as a result of a ‘conduct-related matter which does not pertain to any race riding or integrity-related matter’.
Van Niekerk has picked up a few careless riding bans along the way and was in his second season in Hong Kong.
There was no indication as to whether an appeal facility is available.
Further details will be published once available.