Jockey Vagner Borges is staring down the barrel of a prolonged suspension after he was slapped with charges relating to his ride on the well-backed Daily Charm last Saturday, which saw him finish second despite spotting the leaders more than seven lengths in the run.

After opening an inquiry into the ride on April 17, stewards charged the Brazilian with rule 99 (2) on Monday, alleging he did not take all reasonable and permissible measures throughout the race to ensure Daily Charm could achieve the best possible result.

Stewards allege after obtaining a forward position following the start, Borges failed to make any endeavour between the 1,600m and 1,200m mark to maintain a closer position to the leader of the race – the well-backed Shanghai Dragon – when it was both reasonable and permissible for him to have done so.

“Daily Charm’s sectional time between the 1,600m and the 1,200m was 23.95 seconds, which was approximately 1.8 seconds slower than the standard time,” chief steward Kim Kelly said in a statement.

“At the 1,200m, Daily Charm was approximately 7.3 lengths behind Shanghai Dragon, a margin which, given the tempo of the race, was available to be reduced.”

Stewards go on to say Borges failed to improve his position between the 1,200m and 800m mark when it was again reasonable and permissible to have done so.

“Daily Charm’s sectional time between the 1,200m and the 800m was 25.14 [seconds], which was approximately 1.3 seconds slower than the standard time,” Kelly said.

“Given the tempo of the race between the 1,200m and the 800m, his failure to endeavour to position Daily Charm closer to Shanghai Dragon resulted in Daily Charm remaining unnecessarily out of its ground in relation to that horse.”

Borges will be provided with transcripts of the hearing along with the particulars of the charge before being given the opportunity to enter a plea. The inquiry will be adjourned until that date.

Jockey Dylan Mo Hin-tung was the last to be charged under the rule and he missed a month of racing, while Alberto Sanna did not have his licence renewed following a 12-meeting ban for his effort on Dances With Dragon in 2019.

In all, 35 jockeys have been hit with the charge since 1999.

Meanwhile, after running second to superstar Golden Sixty in Sunday’s Champions Mile, More Than This has been taken off trainer Francis Lui Kin-wai and given to rival Danny Shum Chap-shing.

The five-year-old went within a head of ending Golden Sixty’s winning streak on Sunday, but owner Huang Kai-wen made the decision to move his galloper on Monday after failing to find common ground with the trainer.

Huang owned Group One winner Peniaphobia, along with Doctor Geoff and 2020 Hong Kong Derby runner-up Playa Del Puente.

Shum trains Playa Del Puente for Huang and also has his highly rated three-year-old Gorytus in his stable, who is yet to race in Hong Kong.

After winning four in a row for Lui in 2019, More Than This has failed to return to winners’ circle but has run second in the Classic Mile and Champions Mile since then.

Now rated 122 following a five-point penalty after Sunday’s second behind Golden Sixty, More Than This is Hong Kong’s eighth-highest rated horse.