Harry Bentley will face the stewards in a hearing on Monday after the rider was stood down on Friday because of a “potential disciplinary matter”.

Jockey Club officials remain tight-lipped about exactly what it is Bentley has done to catch their attention.

The Englishman, who has made a solid start to the season with seven wins, is currently unable to ride in races, barrier trials and trackwork.

He will miss Wednesday night’s Happy Valley meeting after having to forego seven rides at Sha Tin on Sunday, with Ariel’s second place the best finish among his forfeited book.

Lor Happy with new recruit

Happy Together continued to impress his new trainer, Frankie Lor Fu-chuen, at Sha Tin on Sunday, taking out the Class Two Eleanor Handicap (1,600m) as the $3.70 favourite.

Happy Together, who travelled midfield before sailing past his rivals in the straight, has now won twice from as many starts for Lor after one win from 10 runs for Richard Gibson.

“He won well. That’s two starts and two wins and he’ll go up to a Class Two rating now,” Lor said of Happy Together, who will move to a mark in the 80s after winning the 90-70 contest.

“He’s still a four-year-old, so maybe we can go for the HK$1.5 million bonus, but I need to have a look at the programme first. I hope he can keep improving and win his next race as well.”

Ng hopeful there’s more to Give

I Give has continued his brilliant season, racking up his fourth straight victory in the Class Four Grace One Handicap (1,200m).

Launched into his customary leading role from gate 11 by Italian jockey Andrea Atzeni, I Give stopped the clock in 1:09.11 – 0.29 of a second inside standard – after setting a strong speed.

“He’s been wonderful. He keeps improving each run, and he is running very promising sections as well. He’s fit and healthy, so we will keep going, and hopefully, he can win a fifth,” said trainer Pierre Ng Pang-chi.

I Give, who began this campaign in Class Five and will now find himself in Class Three company, finished a length and a half clear of John Size-trained debutant Meepmeep.

Ng completed a profitable afternoon with the victory of Drombeg Banner in the Class Three Neogence Handicap (1,400m), with his double taking him to 14 wins for the campaign and the top of the trainers’ premiership.

“Hopefully, we can keep having more winners. We’ll just keep going, keep our head down and work hard,” Ng said.

Like I Give, Drombeg Banner led all the way and his victory in the finale rounded out a bookending brace for in-form apprentice Angus Chung Yik-lai after he took out the opener aboard Me Tsui Yu-sak’s Beat Hollow.

Simply wonderful

While Meepmeep couldn’t get the job done for Size, fellow debutant Wunderbar delivered for the stable in the Class Four Kate Tokyo Handicap (1,000m).

Sent off at $10.50 after winning a recent Conghua trial, the three-year-old son of Rich Enuff was settled just off the speed by Karis Teetan before holding out Multisuper in a willing finish.

“It’s always nice to win a race on their first start, and it usually means they’ll win another one,” Size said.

“It was a nice trial last time, and it looked like bringing him back to 1,000m would be more suitable.”

Size was also among the doubles, taking out the Class Four Suisse Programme Handicap (1,400m) with Pins Prince.

Zac Purton piloted Pins Prince to victory, with the win taking him one clear of the suspended Hugh Bowman in the jockeys’ premiership. Bowman will miss one more meeting before returning at Sha Tin on Saturday.

HKIR fever builds

Manfred Man Ka-leung was dreaming of the Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) after Encountered’s feature win and he wasn’t the only trainer at Sha Tin on Sunday with December’s showcase on his mind.

Japanese handler Hiroyasu Tanaka was on course to have a look at the facilities before what he hopes is a two-pronged attack on international day.

Tanaka has Lebensstil and Rousham Park nominated for both the Group One Hong Kong Cup (2,000m) and Group One Hong Kong Vase (2,400m), and the Jockey Club is hopeful both will line up on December 10.

Lebensstil was a last-start winner of the Group Two Asahi Hai St Lite Kinen (2,200m) under Joao Moreira – who rode six winners at Tokyo on Saturday and five on Sunday – while Rousham Park defeated a strong field, including reigning Vase champion Win Marilyn, when winning September’s Group Two Sankei Sho All Comers (2,200m).

In other HKIR news, Aidan O’Brien has suggested Warm Heart, who was runner-up behind Inspiral in the Group One Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (2,000m) at Santa Anita on Sunday morning (Hong Kong time), will make the trip to Sha Tin.

The three-year-old filly holds entries for the Cup and Vase.