17/12/2017  Shatin  Race 3

REAL DEAL was withdrawn on 15.12.17 by order of the Stewards acting on veterinary advice (inappetence) and was replaced by first Standby Declared Starter GREAT WISDOM (A Badel). SEVEN LUCK was also withdrawn on 15.12.17 by order of the Stewards acting on veterinary advice (blood abnormality) and was replaced by second Standby Declared Starter MASSIVE POWER (Apprentice M F Poon). HELLO KIMBERLEY was withdrawn on 16.12.17 by order of the Stewards acting on veterinary advice (lame right fore). Before being allowed to race again, REAL DEAL, SEVEN LUCK and HELLO KIMBERLEY will be subjected to an official veterinary examination. On arrival at the Start, the blinkers and hood applied to NICE FANDANGO were replaced due to the original piece of equipment being ill-fitting. MASSIVE MILLENNIUM, which was fractious in the barriers, stood flat-footed as the start was effected and lost a considerable amount of ground. GREAT WISDOM also stood flat-footed on jumping and lost a considerable amount of ground. Before being allowed to race again, MASSIVE MILLENNIUM and GREAT WISDOM will both be required to perform satisfactorily in a barrier trial. In the early stages, NICE FANDANGO was left racing wide and after the 800 Metres was allowed to improve its position to take up the lead after the 700 Metres. Throughout the race, ACTUARIAT travelled wide and without cover. When questioned, J Moreira stated that in the Parade Ring and prior to entering the track VICTORY MUSIC appeared agitated and it was not until after the horse entered the track that it commenced to proceed to the Start more tractably. He said VICTORY MUSIC shifted out abruptly at the start and was reluctant to shift over towards the rail. He said he tried to ease the horse across to obtain a position closer to the inside rail in the early stages, however, for a considerable distance it got its head up and proved difficult to manage. He said then making the turn after the 700 Metres VICTORY MUSIC hung out. He added the more he tried to get the horse to corner, the more it appeared that VICTORY MUSIC fought against him and hung out badly rounding the Home Turn. He said he placed VICTORY MUSIC under pressure rounding the Home Turn and in the early part of the Straight, however, it gave ground in the early part of Straight and for this reason he eased the horse down after the 300 Metres. He added when he did this VICTORY MUSIC commenced to shift out towards the outside rail. He said he did not fight against the horse given the manner in which it raced, however, as it got towards the outside rail, he was obliged to employ stronger corrective measures at which time VICTORY MUSIC became very unbalanced in its action. A veterinary inspection of VICTORY MUSIC immediately following the race found that horse to have sustained a laceration to the inside of the right hind pastern. The racing manners of VICTORY MUSIC were considered unacceptable. Before being allowed to race again, VICTORY MUSIC must satisfactorily undertake a series of consecutive barrier trials around a bend and be subjected to an official veterinary examination. VICTORY MUSIC, NICE FANDANGO and AMBITIOUS SPEEDY were sent for sampling.