25/01/2015  Shatin  Race 5

Trainer A T Millard was fined the sum of $2,000 for incorrectly declaring O Doleuze as the rider of GREAT RUN when M Guyon had been engaged to ride the horse. After being loaded, MI SAVVY BOY became fractious and reared, resulting in its rider, A Suborics, being dislodged. MI SAVVY BOY was removed from the barriers and examined by the Veterinary Officer who said in his opinion it was suitable to race. Before being allowed to race again, MI SAVVY BOY will be required to perform satisfactorily in an official barrier trial. After MI SAVVY BOY was reloaded into the barriers, FIGHTING CHAMP, which had previously been fractious, reared, resulting in its rider, N Rawiller, being dislodged. FIGHTING CHAMP was removed from the barriers and examined by the Veterinary Officer who said in his opinion it was lame in its left front leg and as such was not suitable to race. Acting on this advice, the Stewards ordered the withdrawal of FIGHTING CHAMP. Before being allowed to race again, FIGHTING CHAMP will be required to perform satisfactorily in an official barrier trial and be subjected to an official veterinary examination. After the race, N Rawiller was examined by the Club’s medical officers and passed fit to fulfil his remaining race riding engagements. Also after being loaded, WHY WHY became fractious. Before being allowed to race again, WHY WHY will be required to perform satisfactorily in a stalls test. NATURAL FRIENDSHIP began awkwardly. WINNING KING shifted out at the start, resulting in MI SAVVY BOY becoming unbalanced and stumbling. Shortly after the start, SHINING CHAMPION and GENTILIS bumped, causing both horses to become unbalanced. From a wide barrier, LANSBURY was shifted across behind runners in the early stages. Passing the 900 Metres, SHINING CHAMPION commenced to travel keenly and got its head up when awkwardly placed close to the heels of LUCKY DAY. SHINING CHAMPION then shifted out and bumped GREAT RUN. After this, SHINING CHAMPION continued to lay out and approaching the 700 Metres struck the heels of GREAT RUN, causing that horse to become unbalanced and SHINING CHAMPION to lose ground. Near the 850 Metres, KING OF MONGOLIA, which throughout the race travelled wide and without cover, got it head on the side and lay in towards the heels of WHY WHY, resulting in KING OF MONGOLIA becoming unbalanced. For some distance approaching the 600 Metres, GREAT RUN got its head up when awkwardly placed close to the heels of KING OF MONGOLIA. In the Straight, LUCKY DAY got its head on the side and lay in under pressure and passing the 200 Metres was awkwardly placed inside WINNING KING which shifted in. After the 200 Metres, H W Lai (SMART DECLARATION) dropped his whip. When questioned regarding his riding of SUPER TALENT, M Demuro stated that he had been asked to ride the horse in about a midfield position with cover if possible from barrier 8. He said after beginning fairly, he allowed SUPER TALENT the opportunity to obtain a forward position by urging it along in the early stages, however, passing the 1100 Metres he was left racing in a four wide position outside SHINING CHAMPION. He said as he had been asked to ensure he obtained cover on SUPER TALENT, he elected to steady his mount and shift in behind SHINING CHAMPION and MI SAVVY BOY to obtain cover which resulted in the horse racing further back in the field than had been intended. He said in the early and middle stages SUPER TALENT raced with an awkward head carriage and had not travelled as kindly as he had hoped. He said after the 800 Metres he had to ride his mount along in an endeavour to ensure that it was able to maintain its position behind MI SAVVY BOY and LANSBURY. He said rather than to come wide and cover unnecessary ground rounding the Home Turn, he elected to ride SUPER TALENT towards the inside and after the 500 Metres considered improving his position on SUPER TALENT between LANSBURY and NATURAL FRIENDSHIP, however, as he felt that LANSBURY was travelling quite well at this time, he elected to shift out behind that horse and inside MI SAVVY BOY after the 400 Metres as he did not want to get caught in a pocket inside LANSBURY and behind SHINING CHAMPION. He added it took some time for SUPER TALENT to be able to shift to the outside of LANSBURY which he was able to do at about the 300 Metres. He said when able to obtain clear running on the outside of runners in the Straight, SUPER TALENT closed off the race strongly. He said whilst SUPER TALENT raced further back in the field than had been intended, he believed this was due to the circumstances of the race in the early stages and the fact that to obtain cover and not race wide meant that he had to shift SUPER TALENT across behind runners shortly after the start. Mr T P Yung, the trainer of SUPER TALENT, advised the Stewards that he had instructed Jockey Demuro to obtain a midfield position if possible and he had stressed to him the preference to obtain cover if at all possible. He said having in mind that he had placed a particular emphasis on the need to obtain cover, he was satisfied with the manner in which Jockey Demuro had ridden SUPER TALENT. M Demuro was advised that his explanation would be reported, however, he must ensure that he rides his mounts in a manner so as not to leave them with too much work to do in their races. Z Purton was unable to offer any excuse for the disappointing performance of GENTILIS. He said the horse travelled satisfactorily in the early and middle stages, however, its run today indicated that it now may prefer racing at Happy Valley. A veterinary inspection of GENTILIS immediately following the race did not show any significant findings. WHY WHY and SUPER TALENT were sent for sampling.