11/02/2012  Shatin  Race 2

CITY DELIGHT was checked when badly crowded for room at the start between DELISH which shifted in after being bumped by OYSTER and MING HOI GLORY which shifted out. In this incident, CITY DELIGHT made contact with the hindquarters of MING HOI GLORY which became unbalanced. FIERY RAIDER was slow to begin. Approaching the 800 Metres, OYSTER, which was being shifted in to obtain cover behind MING HOI GLORY, got its head up and became badly unbalanced when being checked away from the heels of that horse which itself was being steadied to shift across behind RAINBOW SEEKER. Making the first turn after the 700 Metres, GOLDEN INSIGHT got its head on the side and hung out, resulting in RAINBOW SEEKER being taken wider. Rounding the Home Turn, MING HOI GLORY got its head on the side and lay out. The performance of GOLDEN INSIGHT, which finished tailed out, was considered unacceptable. Before being allowed to race again, GOLDEN INSIGHT will be required to perform to the satisfaction of the Stewards in an official barrier trial and be subjected to an official veterinary examination. When questioned, D Beadman stated that it had been decided for MING HOI GLORY to be ridden in 4th or 5th position if possible. He said after his mount shifted out at the start and became badly unbalanced after bumping with CITY DELIGHT, MING HOI GLORY was not able to gather momentum and because of this a number of horses drawn to the inside of MING HOI GLORY were able to obtain forward positions. He said due to the ground he lost at the start he felt that if he rode MING HOI GLORY along to obtain a forward position as instructed, the horse would be left racing wide and for this reason he elected to shift MING HOI GLORY across behind runners in the early stages, resulting in it settling much further back in the field than had been intended. After the race, the Veterinary Surgeon reported that OYSTER had sustained a wound to the right front cannon. On return to the stables, it was reported that DELISH had bled from both nostrils. A subsequent endoscopic examination confirmed DELISH to have bled. A veterinary inspection of RAINBOW SEEKER after the race did not show any significant findings. HAPPY INDEX and CITY DELIGHT were sent for sampling.